BSUTH-trained specialist doctors emerge best in the country

Doctors trained at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) Makurdi have emerged as best qualifying consultants in two out of fifteen specialties at the 2022 convocation of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN).

At it’s just concluded convocation in lagos, Dr Peter Okwori Onoja of the Ophthalmology Department of the hospital emerged overall best in the Fellowship examination in the Faculty of Ophthalmology. Dr Okwori also won best dissertation in glaucoma and best overall dissertation in the Faculty of Ophthalmology of the College.

In the same vain, Dr Okolie Ifechukwude of the Haematology Department BSUTH received the award for the overall best in the Fellowship examination in the Faculty of Haematology and Blood Bank of the College.

It will be recalled that at last year’s (2021) Convocation of the College, Dr Terry Terfa Gbaa of the Department of Chemical Pathology, BSUTH received the award as the overall best in the Faculty of Pathology of the College.

It is worthy of note to point out that all the awardees started and completed their training programmes at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi.

The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of BSUTH Prof. Terrumun Swende himself an award winning Fellow of the College graced the colourful ceremony in Lagos and described the towering and commanding performance of his Resident Doctors as a testament to the quality of training at BSUTH and a defining moment in the history of postgraduate medical training in the hospital and Benue State at large. He celebrated the award winning Consultants and praised their hard work, perseverance and commitment and those of their trainers and the entire BSUTH community.

Prof. Swende attributed the success to years of strategic reforms aimed at improving postgraduate training at the Hospital and commended Governor Samuel Ortom for being the first state Government in Nigeria to adopt and domesticate the Medical Residency Training Act with full payment of the Medical Residency Training Fund to Resident Doctors.

The excellent performance of these doctors at the postgraduate examinations could also be traced to the provision of other incentives such as prompt and up to date payment of monthly salaries at BSUTH and provision of the required facilities for training, research and healthcare delivery at the hospital by Governor Samuel Ortom’s Administration.

With the sustained support of the Governor as can be seen in the ongoing total and comprehensive rehabilitation of the Wards and Theatres Complex, award of contact for supply of a brand new Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine as well as acquisition of two new Dialysis machines and establishment of a new dialysis unit in the infectious disease centre at BSUTH, resident doctors of the hospital will continue to excel at their postgraduate examinations in their chosen sub specialties.

BSUTH has in recent years secured full accreditation in over ten medical specialties to train specialists with the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, West African College of Surgeons and Physicians respectively.

The quality of postgraduate training directly reflects the quality of healthcare delivery. The hospital currently offers tertiary health care services including high end services like renal replacement/ dialysis, laparoscopic/pinhole surgeries, hip and knee replacement surgeries and high tech diagnostics.

Hough Cephas T.
Deputy Director/Head, Public Relations, (BSUTH)