$20,000 Residency Training for Delta Doctors

Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan

Delta State Government will henceforth sponsor medical doctors of the state origin at the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, NPMCN,  Lagos, to one-year residency training programme overseas.

Delta State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, who announced this, yesterday, in appreciation of the honorary fellowship award conferred on him by the college during its 31st convocation ceremony in Lagos,  noted the need to support  government efforts to produce well-skilled resident doctors, leveraging on international exposure availed by the one-year overseas training programme. 

Uduaghan, who was of the view that the college plays a vital role in medical training, stressed the need for government at all levels to support the institution.

He said: “Delta State Government will partner you in the training of Delta indigenes here. All Deltans with first class degrees already have scholarships to study anywhere in the world. Over 180 of them are offered N5 million yearly as grant.

“We will also give the one-year post-graduate training scholarship support to Delta indigenes in this college, as part of measures to address the funding challenges mentioned by the president of the college.

“People say we spend a lot on scholarships, but I tell them that the amount is not comparable to what we spend on security and other things. On education and its funding, I will not be tired and I will partner this college on this one-year training.”

On his part, president of the college, Professor Victor Wakwe lamented that since the Federal Government resuscitated the one-year overseas training for resident doctors, and about 60 candidates benefited last year, nothing has been heard of the programme.

He appealed for support for the programme.

On the honorary fellowship to Governor Uduaghan, Wakwe said that the award was in recognition of the recipient’s exceptional commitment to healthcare development in Delta State, from the time he was Commissioner for Health to this day as governor of the state.