Four months after the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo was established, the federal government reversed to status quo in 2015. Stakeholders have been appealing to government to reconsider its decision. AGBO-PAUL AUGUSTINE examines the issues at stake.When the news broke out that the federal government had given the approval for the establishment of two specialised Federal Universities in the country in May, 2015, Okerenkoko, Delta State and Otukpo, Benue went agog.The federal ministry of Education through its department of Tertiary Education on July 16, 2015 in a memo FME/TE/CU/436/Vol.1/55 conveyed to the Vice Chancellor, the establishment of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Benue State.In the same memo, the ministry also announced the establishment of the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko in Delta State.The federal government also constituted the Governing Council of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo headed by Ferdinand Agu and other three members.That announcement heralded a spoof of administrative activities in the then newest addition to the centre of knowledge in the country.The academic world welcomed the idea of setting up specialised learning institutions to advance the course of knowledge and the economy.But that joyous mood got truncated four months when another memo from the federal ministry of Education to the Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund, FME/TE/CU/367/I/193 dated September, 2015 under the title: Disbursement Of Take-Off Grant of The Sum Of N500 Million From TETFund To Each Of The Newly Converted Federal Colleges Of Education To Universities And The Two Newly Established Federal Universities.The memo conveyed President Muhammadu Buharis directive on the reversal to status quo on the recently converted Federal Colleges of Education to Federal Universities of Education and the two newly established Federal Universities.Four Colleges of Education and two new Universities were affected by that order of government hence, the hope of the academia was dashed considering how the first news was greeted with enthusiasm.The University of Health Sciences was to subsume the already established College of Health Sciences, which was a Campus of University of Agriculture, Makurdi (FAUM).It will be recalled that prior to the upgrading, FUAM was earlier granted the license to run the College of Health Sciences, which will be sited with its Teaching Hospital in Otukpo.Since the reversal by President Buhari, not a few stakeholders have been advancing reasons why the federal government need to rescind its decision on the take off of the specialised medical learning centre.One of such advocacy groups is the League of Idoma Professors (LIP) which recently threw its weight behind the call on the President to reconsider his position on the Universities.In a recent statement by the group jointly signed by the President, LIP, Professor Owoich Akpa and Secretary, Professor Ediga Agbo, it called on the federal government to consider the many advantages derivable from the University.The University according the scholars, like its counterparts in other parts of the world, was envisioned as a multidisciplinary space for education, research, translation and commercialization, harnessing science and innovation to tackle health challenges.Developing an international reputation for excellence in teaching and research in health and health-related fields, the University would be committed to developing the next generation of researchers, scientists and academics through collaboration across disciplines.The Federal Governments decision to establish the health-based University derived from the nations growing need for specialized manpower in the areas of health and health-related resources, which are germane to national growth and development.Such Universities, as agents for specialized high-level manpower developments and self-reliance, contribute in no small measures to the economic development and living standard in many nations of the world, it argued.It also went further to state that the relative dearth of health professionals in the country demands concerted efforts to educate and train more health personnel.For instance it argued, the World Health Organisation (WHO) standard stipulates the ratio of one doctor to 600 patients. Nigeria needs no fewer than 237,000 medical doctors, but the country has 35,000 practicing medical doctors.It stated that the number may not be the problem but the quality of training competence and skills needed by the profession.It also drew the attention of the federal government that in the last few years, Nigerians have turned to India, South Africa and Europe for medical tourism.Saying that the current university-based medical college system in Nigeria, no doubt, has failed to meet the ever-expanding needs for health professionals that will adequately meet the health needs of the country.Currently, there are 27 medical and dental schools fully accredited by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria. They will produce 2, 550 medical practitioners and 175 dentists per year.There are four partially accredited medical schools, with capacity to admit 200 medical students. The existing Medical Schools, based on statistics from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, admit less than 20% of the candidates who are qualified and are applying to study Medicine.Each school has its quota. The reason being that they have to be trained competently based on the facilities available. The duty of the medical school is to produce people with competency skills after graduation, it further argued.Based on the current statistics, the academicians are of the view that it will take about 100 years to have the number that Nigeria needs, and that is if none of the doctors and new graduates leave the country.This explains the current paradigm shift in most parts of the world, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Austria, Ukraine, Libya, South Africa, Ghana, Uganda, Gambia, Kenya and Iran, towards the establishment of specialized Universities of Health Sciences.The group reiterated that the establishment of the Federal University of Health Sciences is therefore one sure way to expand access for applicants to enjoy University medical education in Nigeria.It will be recalled that federal governments 2016 budget proposals leans heavily in favour of opening up the educational sector. Allocating N369.6 billion to the education sector, the largest in the budget, is clearly indicative of the governments commitment to improving on the peoples access to quality education.With the current mantra to diversify the nations monolithic economy from the hitherto all-oil-based economy, the health industry offers a great potential as a revenue earner.The professors argued that the health care industry in India earns revenues accounting for 5.2 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employs as many as 4 million people.India attracts more than 18, 000 Nigerian medical tourists every year. The country has 381 medical colleges and 44 medical universities that train doctors and other allied health professionals.It will be recalled that LEADERSHIP Newspaper reported on November 21, 2015 that Nigeria loses about N3bn to medical tourism annually.It has been argued that Nigeria alone accounts for 42.4 percent of the medical tourism list of Africans going to India for medical attention.The Indian High Commissioner in Nigeria was recently quoted as saying that Indian hospitals received 18,000 Nigerians on medical visa in 2012 and about 15,000 in 2013.In monetary terms, Nigerians spend about $260 million annually in search of medical attention in India. Indias pharmaceutical exports to Africa equally increased from $247.64 million in 2000 to $3.5 billion in 2014, the group said.It is on this premise that the scholars appealed to the federal government to have a second look and reconsider its stand on the status of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, on its merits.
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