GOODLUCK change FMC, Ido_Ekiti to ABUAD’s teaching hospital

President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the upgrade of the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Ido-Ekiti, to a federal teaching hospital for the clinical training of medical students and allied health professionals of Afe Babalola University, Ado- Ekiti, ABUAD. A statement by the Head, Public Relations of ABUAD, Mr Tunde Olofintila, yesterday said the approval was contained in a letter with Reference Number HMH/ABJ/450/ Vol. IV/152 dated October 15, 2014 and signed by the immediate past Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu. He said the approval would be for 10 years as stipulated in the Memorandum of Understanding between the government and ABUAD management. According to Olofintila, the minister, in a similar letter to chairman of the hospital’s management board, urged him to “kindly ensure that all necessary actions are carried out to actualise Mr President’s approvals.” In tandem with global practice where universities use well-grounded hospitals as training centres for their clinical students, ABUAD applied to the Federal Government for the upgrading of FMC, Ido-Ekiti for use as clinical training centre for its medical students just like the University of Ibadan is using Adeoyo Hospital and Gombe University is currently using Gombe FMC as their Clinical Training Centres. Olofintila said: “After the initial visit by the National Universities Commission, NUC, the body was of the opinion that there was need to upgrade the facilities at the FMC to meet the standards of a Teaching Hospital for the training of Medical students. Reacting to the approval yesterday, ABUAD founder, Aare Afe Babalola, said that his modest efforts at bringing about quality, functional and reformatory education in Nigeria has brought so much excitement to the entire Ekiti community.