Ododo Govt Strengthens Medical Education With CUSTECH Teaching Hospital

Kogi State government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening medical education and healthcare delivery by inspecting students’ hostels and doctors’ quarters at the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH) Teaching Hospital, Okene.

The inspection was conducted by the commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, alongside his counterpart in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Taiye Abanika.

The facilities are being developed to provide accommodation for medical students undergoing clinical training and doctors working at the teaching hospital, while supporting effective clinical services, research and learning.

During the inspection, Fanwo described the development as an example of “vision extension,” stressing that the transformation of the former Reference Hospital into CUSTECH Teaching Hospital demonstrated continuity in governance and development.

He recalled that the immediate past administration of former Governor Yahaya Bello established the Reference Hospital, adding that the present administration of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo had continued to expand its capacity and provide additional infrastructure required for medical education and healthcare delivery.

According to him, the development showed that government projects could be sustained and improved when successive administrations built on existing foundations.

Fanwo expressed satisfaction with the quality of the students’ accommodation and doctors’ quarters, noting that the facilities included spacious rooms, reading areas, wardrobes, bathrooms and toilets, as well as solar power and internet connectivity.

He said the facilities were designed to provide medical students with a conducive environment for academic work and research, particularly as they advance to the clinical stages of their training.

The commissioner explained that while students in the earlier stages of their programme have accommodation at the CUSTECH campus in Osara, those proceeding to clinical training will have dedicated accommodation near the teaching hospital.

Fanwo also underscored the importance of the doctors’ quarters, saying the proximity of medical personnel to the hospital would enhance emergency response and improve the efficiency of clinical services.

He said the initiative was also part of the administration’s efforts to attract and retain qualified medical professionals in the state, stressing that a conducive working and living environment was essential to improving healthcare delivery.

The commissioner said the investment formed part of the government’s broader development of education and healthcare infrastructure across the state, citing ongoing projects at institutions such as the Prince Abubakar Audu University Teaching Hospital, Anyigba.

He said the ultimate objective of the investment in medical education was to produce doctors capable of competing professionally in Nigeria and globally.

Fanwo therefore urged medical students to take their studies seriously and justify the resources being committed to their training.

He added that the responsibility of future administrations would be to sustain the momentum by ensuring that projects designed to strengthen medical education and healthcare delivery were not abandoned but expanded to benefit generations of Kogi residents.

Also speaking, Abanika expressed satisfaction with the standard of the facilities, describing the students’ hostel as more than conventional accommodation.

He highlighted the provision of reading spaces, beds, wardrobes, toilets and bathrooms, saying the facilities had been designed to address the peculiar needs of medical students undergoing clinical training.