The Chief Medical Director (CMD), Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti (FETHI), Prof. Kolawole Ogundipe, has called for greater recognition of Community Medicine as a critical component of Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Ogundipe made the call on Monday when he received a reaccreditation team from the West African College of Physicians (WACP) to assess the hospital’s Department of Community Medicine.
The CMD said Community Medicine played an important role in effective healthcare delivery and the training of specialists, urging more medical doctors to develop interest in the specialty.
He said the Department of Community Medicine had grown considerably, noting that it had one of the highest concentrations of consultants in the hospital.
According to him, regular accreditation is necessary to ensure that healthcare institutions maintain acceptable standards in service delivery and postgraduate medical training.
Ogundipe assured the WACP team of the hospital management’s full cooperation throughout the exercise, saying the hospital had adequately prepared for the assessment.
He added that management had also addressed observations raised during the previous accreditation exercise.
“We are ready to receive your recommendations because we believe that there is always room for improvement.
“We want the department to continue to grow and provide an enabling environment for the training of future specialists,” he said.
The team lead, Prof. Hadiza Abigail Agbo, said the assessors were at the hospital to determine the department’s suitability for reaccreditation.
Agbo explained that the team would assess the programme against the standards and requirements of the College, stressing that WACP would not compromise its standards.
She assured the hospital that the exercise would be conducted thoroughly, professionally and without bias.
According to her, the objective is not merely to assess the programme but to contribute to its continued development and improvement.
She commended the hospital management and staff for their cooperation and warm reception.
At the end of the assessment, the WACP team held a debriefing session with the hospital management, during which it presented its observations and recommendations.
The session also provided an opportunity for the management and assessors to discuss areas requiring further improvement in the department’s operations, facilities and postgraduate training.
The assessment was attended by senior management officials, consultants, resident doctors in the Department of Community Medicine and other members of staff.
The Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, Dr. Olabisi Adeyemo; Head of Community Medicine, Prof. Olusegun Elegbede; DCMAC (Training), Dr. T. Kolawole; and DCMAC (Research and Innovation), Dr. O.B. Bolaji, were among those present.
Other officials included the Head of Residency and Training Unit, Mr. Mikhail Arogundade, PhD; Chief of Staff to the CMD, Dr. Kamal Alabi; and other heads of departments and units.
The WACP reaccreditation team also included Dr. Adebola A. Adejimi and Dr. Luke Anwuri.
