Don canvasses establishment of more medical varsities.

Professor Friday Okonofua, the Vice Chancellor, University of Medicine, Ondo State, has pointed the need for establishment of more medical universities to improve the nation’s healthcare system.

He made the assertion at the seventh Professor Adetokunbo Babatunde Sofoluwe Memorial Lecture organised by the University of Lagos Alumni Association (Lagos State Branch), he said medical universities would correct some of the curriculum deficits in the country’s traditional medical schools.

Speaking on the theme: Re-thinking the archetypal medical education system in Nigeria, he argued that Universities of Medical and Health Sciences have a good chance of training required health professionals as they will have flexibility for creative programmes expansion.

“The shortage of critical health professionals due to migration has become more chronic in recent years. For example, more than 5,000 Nigerian trained medical doctors have migrated to the United States of America,” he said.

He lamented that Nigeria has produced over 3,000 physiotherapists in its universities, but less than 700 currently practise in the country.

“For Nigeria as a leading country in Africa, the mass exodus of our health professionals is dangerous to the development of our healthcare system,” he said.

The Chairman, University of Lagos Alumni Association (Lagos State Branch), Adeoti Lukumon also said government should take good care of the health system in the country in order to tackle medical tourism and prevent Nigerian doctors from travelling abroad in search of greener pastures.