The National Post Graduate Medical College of Nigeria, NPMCN, recently  graduated 204 diplomates in family medicine and anaesthesia even as it is repositioning the College to providing the necessary learning skills and certification of doctors. Speaking during the3rd Diplomates Graduation ceremony in Lagos, the College President, Professor Opubo Benedict da Lilly-Tariah said the repositioning of the college was necessary especially for doctors who are not in residency but require more than the routine skills of clerkship to manage patients outside the Specialists or Teaching Hospitals and make a referral in good time.

 

Lilly-Tariah noted that the College takes great pride in the 204 diplomates because they fill a vital albeit a neglected area of clinical service delivery in the country. “The College also draws great pride and sense of accomplishment in running these programmes because it is an achievement in meeting its mandate of awarding other certificates besides the fellowship.” He further announced that the college senate has approved the request of the faculty of Radiology to run a diploma in Sonography programme for medically qualified doctors, adding that the programme would commence very soon.

“Also the request of the faculty of Otorhinolaryngology head and neck surgery to run a diploma in audiology for medically qualified doctors is currently before the Docimology and Evaluation Committee of the Senate for consideration. Other facilities are at various stages of developing programmes for medically qualified doctors. The emphasis on medically qualified doctors is deliberate especially considering our contemporary history in the health care sector. Further, emphasised the need for a development plan aimed at acquiring the necessary skills to deliver services at all levels of healthcare with the development of the National surgical obstetrics, Anaesthesia and nursing plan. Lilly-Tariah  charged the graduands to adhere strictly to ethics of the profession and do their  best for patients.

 

“Remember, also that the lawyers are befriending your patients for evidence of wrongdoing or things you didn’t do right and the public is holding us to higher levels of accountability. The highlight of the event was the presentation of the diploma certificate to the 15 Anaesthesia and 189 Family medicine graduands.