•Extols Governor, Seeks Waiver To Recruit More Professionals
By Onyekachi Eze
If there is any House member of the 9th Imo Assembly to be remembered after this dispensation for his people oriented motions, it will definitely go to the man for Aboh Mbaise, Hon Chief Eddy Obinna.
Since their inauguration in June 2019, Eddy Obinna has shown uniqueness in his choice of motions and contributions on the floor of the House.
The latest point scored by him was a motion urging the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma to further equip the health facilities at the Imo State University Teaching Hospital, IMSUTH, Orlu, as well as the College of Medicine, inorder to attain full accreditation by Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.
Leading the debate during Tuesday, April 12, 2022 plenary session, Hon Obinna, who holds a principal position of the Deputy Chief Whip, commended the Governor for his relentless efforts in getting the aforementioned institutions working, unlike how he met it.
He lauded Uzodimma for his continued intervention at the IMSUTH and College of Medicine, while also called his attention not to stop until the two schools get the full accreditation.
He recalled that as a result of many lost in accreditation in the past, students whose stay ought not to have exceeded 6years graduated eleven and ten years after, respectively.
Hon Obinna noted that since 2004 the teaching hospital was established for the purposes of admitting medical students, it is yet to attain the required greater heights.
The Lawmaker reeled out that part of the factors why the schools lost accreditation bordered on poor structure, lack of modern medical equipment, and other health apparatuses.
Again, he disclosed that lack of medical professionals led to the stagnation of students in the school, which made them to stay so long before graduating.
Part of the prayers of the motion stated,
“Conscious of the fact that the present administration under the able leadership of His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma gallantly took up the issue of lack of accreditation by providing some of the much needed structures and equipment thereby restoring partial accreditation to the school;
“Observing that due to the restoration of partial accreditation, the School was able to graduate 2 sets with each set consisting of 58 students and this is really commendable knowing that those 2 sets of students had spent 11 years and 10 years respectively in Medical School for a course that would normally take 6 years to complete;
“Noting further that another batch of 62 students are supposed to graduate by June/July this year but the plan for this may be hindered due to the School having not gotten-full accreditation as a result of non availability of some critical infrastructure, equipment and relevant manpower in the medical field”.
After a painstaking debate, the House presided by the Speaker, Rt Hon Kennedy Ibeh, resolved to commend the Governor for his administration’s efforts so far in putting up relevant structures that resulted in the restoration of partial accreditation which in turn led to the graduation of 2 sets of medical students who had spent 11 years and 10 years respectively in School for a 6 year course.
The House further urged Governor Hope Uzodimma to intervene, by equipping the Teaching Hospital to the minimum standard required for full accreditation by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria
Another resolution moved was to urge the governor to grant waiver to the Teaching Hospital to employ the Consultants and other Medical Professionals needed to fill the vacancies existing at the Hospital.
Also, a resolution to approve the construction of Doctors’ quarters within the Hospital premises to end the issues caused by not having consultants on ground to attend to emergency situations especially at odd hours, was keenly passed into resolution.
