The Ondo State Government has approved the affiliation of the state School of Nursing and Midwifery in Akure to the state University of Medical Sciences UNIMED, Ondo, in a bid to making the school a degree awarding institution.

 

Briefing Journalists at the end of the weekly State Executive Council meeting in Akure, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Wahab Adegbenro said the decision was in line with the directive of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.

 

The State Executive Council also approved that the Medical Village in Ondo City becomes the Teaching Hospital of UNIMED and the State Specialist Hospitals in Akure and Ondo become annexes of the teaching hospital.

 

Also the Special Adviser to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on Health, Dr Jibayo Adeyeye disclosed that a 9-man committee has been set up to harmonize the decisions of the council.

 

The committee, according to him, would be chaired by the State Deputy Governor, Hon Agboola Ajayi while the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Wahab Adegbenro; his counterpart in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Mr Femi Agagu; the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Dr Olawunmi Ilawole and himself will serve on the committee.

 

Others are: Special Adviser to the Governor on Union Matters and the Head of Service, Mr Oluwatoyin Akinkuotu who would nominate a Permanent Secretary that would serve as Secretary of the committee.

 

The State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr Yemi Olowolabi used the opportunity to reiterate the resolve of the Oluwarotimi Akeredolu administration to continue to take decisions that would address the needs of citizens of the state while upholding the tenets of transparency and accountability.

 

You would recall that on November 11th, 2017,  the news first broke that the Technical Committee set up by the Ondo State Government on the takeover of the state School of Nursing, Midwifery and the Medical Village by the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), had submitted its report.

 

The Chairman of the committee and Senior Special Assistant to Governor Akeredolu on Administrative and Policy Planning, Jones Ogunmusire while presenting the report, said the committee recommended that the Schools of Nursing and Midwifery,Akure,the state capital, be joined with University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED),Ondo.

 

The committee also recommended that the Medical Village in Ondo City be used as the teaching hospital of the University of Medical Sciences.

 

On his part, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu assured that the recommendations of the committee would be looked into and implemented before next session. Akeredolu expressed hope that it would be a good development to attach all the schools to UNIMED instead of having them as separate entities.

 

It will recalled thatl the state current has three universities, namely; Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko(AAUA),Ondo State University of Science and Technology(OSUSTECH),Okitipupa and the University of Medical sciences(UNIMED) ,and a Polytechnic, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo.

 

Also,the Ondo State government owns three health institutions,namely; School of Health Technology, School of Nurse and School of Midwifery all in Akure.

By Yomi Ayeleso Akure, Politico