Posted on: Mon 24-12-2018

The National Chairman of the Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (AHAPN), Dr. Kingsley Chiedu Amibor has commended the Sokoto State government for the construction of the state of the art International Conference Centre (ICC) in Sokoto.

Dr. Amibor made the remarks while inspecting facilities at the ultra modern International Conference Centre recently commissioned by the Sokoto State Government, during a recent working visit to the state. The visit took the National Chairman round the various conference halls in the facility, Board room, recreational facilities, mini halls and parking lot.

The visit was to ascertain the level of preparedness of the state to host the 21^st Annual National Scientific Conference of the Association, tagged “Sokoto 2019” with the theme :”Innovative Disruptions in Pharmacy: A Road Map for Hospital and Administrative Pharmacy Practice in Nigeria.”

The International Conference Centre has been scheduled to host the opening ceremony of the 2019 Conference; where close to one thousand delegates of AHAPN are expected to gather for the opening ceremony of the Conference. Dr. Amibor was accompanied during the inspection visit by the Vice Chairman, Board of Fellows of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Pharm. Ibrahim Binji FPSN, the Sokoto State Chairperson of AHAPN, Pharm. Uche Agnes Ezeh, and Chairman Local Organizing Committee of the Conference, Dr. Michael Ugwah PhD.

Others were the representative of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health Sokoto State, Pharm Al- Mustapha O. Ali, who was away on a trip outside of the state, but called to express his consent and approval for the Association’s choice of the International Conference Centre for the opening ceremony of the Conference. Also present was the Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) Sokoto State Branch, Pharm. Umar Attahiru Sokoto and the representative of the Chairman of the Conference Planning Committee and immediate past Chairman of the PSN Sokoto State,  Pharm Murtala Bello, who was inadvertently absent from the state during the visit.

In the same vein, the National Chairman also called on the state government to do all in her power to ensure recruitment of adequate number of pharmacists to man the pharmacy units of the Usmanu Dan Fodio University Teaching Hospital Sokoto (UDUTH). Dr. Amibor made the call at the Teaching Hospital, in the course of his working visit to the state. According to Dr. Amibor “As you are aware, there is a paradigm shift in Pharmacy practice globally towards Pharmaceutical Care, which has demonstrated obvious better health outcomes in terms of humanistic, economic and clinical outcomes than the traditional practice of dispensing, which is no longer in vogue worldwide.” He therefore called on the state government to recruit more pharmacists including those for the mandatory one year internship programme as well as regular pharmacists.

The National Chairman made the call while on an inspection visit to the Pharmacy Department of UDUTH where he was received on arrival by the Deputy Director of Pharmaceutical Services and Head of Pharmacy Department, UDUTH, Pharm. Abdul Mohammed.  The Head of Department had earlier complained that inadequate number of pharmacists was hampering the provision of optimum pharmaceutical care to the teeming patients of the hospital.

Thereafter, Dr. Amibor and his team proceeded to visit various hotels in the state, including Giginya Hotel and several others, to ascertain their readiness to accommodate the teeming number of pharmacists expected in the state come 2019.

The National Chairman later went into a closed door meeting with the members of the Conference Planning Committee (CPC), Local Organizing Committee (LOC) and National Executive Committee (NEC) members present at the occasion.

The 21^st Annual National Scientific Conference of AHAPN which is the first being organized during the tenure of Dr. Amibor as National Chairman, promises a lot of attractions, including product launches, unveiling of Maiden Edition of Directory of all AHAPN members, unveiling of 3^rd Edition of AHAPN Health Journal, “The Health System Pharmacist,” Health Outreach, scientific sessions, group dynamics and Town Hall meeting among others. And of course there will be time to relax by way of picnics, excursion and closing dinner.

The key note address speaker for the conference is Prof. Noel Wannang, Secretary General, West African Post Graduate College of Pharmacists, to be supported by several other eminent speakers. The conference is billed for middle of 2019 and promises to be like none other before it.

Dr. Kingsley Chiedu Amibor  Pharm D, MPH, FPCPharm

National Chairman AHAPN

Pharm. Hafiz Akande

National Secretary AHAPN

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