The Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital Lafia (DASH) has resumed its Residency Training Programme five months after it was suspended .
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on Jan. 17, 2020, the hospital was given full accreditation for residency training in Family Medicine.
Dr Hassan Ikrama, Chief Medical Director of the hospital, made this known in an interview with the NAN on Friday in Lafia.
Ikrama said the management of the hospital adopted and is currently implementing the National Residency Training Act to ensure smooth operations of the programme.
”The act is being implemented to avoid the problems encountered in the past that lead to the temporary suspension of the programme.
”The act would also ensure proper funding of the programme and ensure that the funding was captured in the budget as well as proper delineation of duration,” he said.
Ikrama said the hospital had successfully trained and graduated six consultants locally through their residency training.
He said they graduated one consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology department and five in the department of family medicine.
The director explained that the hospital started with one department and currently has five departments.
He said the residency programme was accredited by the West African College of Surgeon and other relevant bodies.
Ikrama said the residency training was aimed at ensuring that Medical Doctors attend the height of their career.
He said modalities are being worked out to begin postgraduate training for other clinical staff.
Ikrama appealed to the people of the state to always visit Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs)and general hospitals for health challenges within their scope.
He explained that the primary and secondary health facilities in the state had been equipped to handle certain levels of care, adding that only those with complications or requiring specialised care should be referred to DASH.
He decried situations where people throng the specialist hospital for malaria and other illnesses that could easily be handled at the primary and secondary health facilities, urging people to visit the PHCs if faced with such ailments.
He lauded Gov. Abdullhi Sule of Nasarawa for his support to the hospital by providing more equipment and structures.
NAN reports that on June 29, 2018 President Muhammadu Buhari signed the medical residency training bill 2018 into law.
The law enacts and regulates the Medical Residency Training Programme for the training of Medical Practitioners and Dental Surgeons to be regulated and managed by the National Medical Post-graduate College of Nigeria.
The programme is for persons who possess the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MB.BSc, MB. CH, B, BDS), or its equivalent, have gone through the NYSC programme with discharge or exemption Certificate, and possess professional indemnity Certificate from a reputable Insurance company, among others.
The act is directed at assuring the quality and competence of Medical practice and practitioners in Nigeria through Statutory Medical Training Programmes to encourage Medical Tourism from other Countries to Nigeria and build further confidence in Nigeria Medical System. (NAN).