Posted on: Thu 15-08-2024

The Thompson Abayomi Oshin Health and Education Foundation has donated a state-of-the-art edifice to the University College Hospital (UCH) of the University of Ibadan (UI) to immortalize the pioneering contributions of their father, Dr. Thompson Abayomi Oshin, to the growth and development of physiotherapy in Africa and Nigeria.

Chairman of the Foundation, Dr. Segun Oshin, said they embarked on the project to honour their father in response to a request from the College of Medicine, UI, because he was the first African physiotherapist and he also started physiotherapy training in Nigeria. The foundation will also endow a prize in the Faculty of Nursing of the College in memory of their mother, Mrs. Adepeju Olufunmilayo Oshin, who retired as a Senior Matron from UCH.

The edifice was inaugurated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Dr. Abayomi Oshin’s 98th birthday. The President, represented by Dr. Tunji Alausa, Minister of State for Health & Social Welfare, described the building as a significant milestone in advancing education and health in Nigeria.

“Today, we celebrate a beacon of hope and generosity embodied by the Thompson Abayomi Oshin Health and Education Foundation,” Alausa said, adding that “this commitment to improving education and healthcare in Nigeria is a testament to the enduring spirit of philanthropy that defines the nation.”

According to him, the donation of the building is not merely a gift to UI but a symbol of hope and progress which should remind others that even in challenging times, there are individuals and families who can step forward to make a difference.

“The Oshin family stands as a shining example of how private citizens can contribute to the public good, ensuring that future generations benefit from an enhanced educational system and facilities. Today, we honour not just a new building but also the legacy of Dr. Thompson Abayomi Oshin.

“His life is a testament to dedication, excellence and service. From being the first African physiotherapist in 1954 to his numerous pioneering roles in physiotherapy across the globe,” the minister said.

Dr. Oshin’s career is characterized by numerous firsts, honours and distinctions, which include the first African Physiotherapist to qualify in London in January 1954, first African physiotherapist to be in charge of Physiotherapy Department (evening clinic) at St. Nicholas Hospital, Plumstead, London in 1954, first African physiotherapist to broadcast on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) London on the value of physiotherapy to West Africans in 1954 and first African Exchange Physiotherapist to the USA from 1958 to 1959 as well as the first Head and Consultant Physiotherapist, University College Hospital, Ibadan in 1973, among others.

SOURCE: VANGUARD NEWSPAPER

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