Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH) Lokoja has reaffirmed commitment to strengthening collaboration with the College of Health Sciences of Federal University Lokoja through workforce expansion and a flexible personnel deployment framework aimed at securing full accreditation and producing the institution’s first set of medical graduates.
The commitment was made during a high-level meeting, when the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Gbenga Solomon, paid a courtesy visit to the Chief Medical Director of Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja, Associate Professor Abdulrahman Shehu.
Speaking during the meeting, Professor Solomon congratulated the CMD on his appointment and reflected on the university’s growth over the past 15 years from three faculties to fourteen, including the establishment of the College of Health Sciences.
The Vice Chancellor described the partnership between the university and Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja as strategic, noting that the hospital possesses the capacity and institutional readiness required to support the college in achieving its academic and professional objectives.
He, however, identified some critical challenges confronting the medical programme, including personnel, hostel accommodation, and the need for a renewable energy system to reduce cost of electricity, stressing the need for joint efforts in addressing the challenges.
In his response, Associate Professor Shehu underscored the central role of a teaching hospital in the success of any medical school, stressing that no medical graduate can practise without accreditation from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.
He stated that both institutions are committed to meeting all accreditation requirements through close collaboration and strategic planning.
According to the CMD, the hospital has already identified critical manpower and infrastructure gaps and it is prepared to work with the university to bridge the gaps.
He explained that the proposed personnel deployment model would allow flexibility, with some staff employed directly by the university while others could be seconded between the two institutions as the need arises.
Shehu commended the Vice Chancellor for seeking early clarification on the financial framework and service ranking structure contained in the Memorandum of Understanding, noting that accreditation would ultimately depend on adequate preparedness across all medical specialties.
The CMD further disclosed that the hospital’s development plan covers both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Medicine, Nursing, Medical Laboratory Science, Radiology, and other related disciplines.
He added that the Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja has already secured approval to recruit additional personnel to support the programme, while more than twenty medical professionals have indicated interest in joining the college after concluding discussions on terms of engagement.
“Our next focus is creating an enabling environment that will support the training of large numbers of competent medical professionals,” he said, assuring the university of the hospital’s unwavering support toward the success of the partnership.
