Yobe State Governor, Ibrahim Gaidam, has visited the Yobe State University (YSU), Damaturu, to inspect ongoing construction of the College of Medical Sciences, which was established recently as part of his administration’s effort to develop and enhance medical manpower across the state.
The College is also billed to support and be supported by the newly established Yobe University Teaching Hospital (YSUTH), Damaturu.
The governor, who was conducted round the medical college complex by its Vice Chancellor, Prof Yakubu Mukhtar, and the Chairman of the University Governing Council, Ado Isyaku, was appreciative of the quality of work at the site.
He, however, asked contractors to speedy up work to meet the six months’ dateline given to them. “While I appreciate the quality of work, I urge you to speed up. You need to put in a lot of men and resources to meet up the dateline and make this complex ready for new medical students who will be admitted from the next academic session beginning in September, 2017”, the governor said.
After his inspection of the Medical College complex, Governor Gaidam reiterated that the Yobe State government considers healthcare a high priority area.
“Healthcare is of utmost priority to us. This is why we are making huge investments in the sector. This is why we embarked on establishing a medical college here in our state university and a teaching hospital.
“It is also the reason that we embarked on massive recruitment of medical manpower, including medical officers, consultants, professors, etc. and this also includes 17 medical doctors we recruited from the Republic of Egypt. We are doing all this to bring quality medical services to the doorsteps of our people”, the governor said.
The governor assured that his administration would continue to advance and achieve its objectives of a functional and accessible healthcare sector.
Gaidam also revealed that the Yobe State government was currently sponsoring over 400 medical students of Yobe origin both within and outside the country.
“Even yesterday, I approved tuition and scholarships for 15 additional medical students. “We will continue to ensure that we fully meet our medical manpower needs”, he said.
In response to a briefing by the YSU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mukhtar, that they have identified additional structures that would need to be provided within the complex to make the Medical College fully able to cater the needs of a modern medical institution, the governor asked the Vice Chancellor to make a memo to his office through the Secretary to the State Government.
