Why Nigerian Govt Must Invest In Training Of Surgeons –Varsity Don

A university don, Professor Abdus-Samiu Musa-Olomu, has stressed the urgent need for government at all levels to invest in training more general surgeons to save lives.

Musa-Olomu, of the Department of Surgery, College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, made the call while presenting the university’s 308th inaugural lecture, titled “Beauty of Surgeon’s Knife: Bring Smiles to Patients”.

He also advocated revisiting the creation of the Office of Surgeon-General by the Federal Government to make the surgeon’s job easier.

Musa-Olomu stressed that state and local government authorities should ensure adequate training of local bone setters and traditional birth attendants to improve their skills.

He called for the revisiting of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) scheme and its appropriate revamping.

The varsity don reflected on the human experience of illness, noting that it was often sad to get sick because of the fear of the outcome, which could be either wellness or death.

Musa-Olomu said the sadness is compounded when a patient discovers that surgery was needed to get well, but if all goes well with the necessary precautions, the patient often smiles at the end.

He declared that surgeons were invaluable in academics as well as in hospital services generally; hence, the beauty of a surgeon’s knife brings smiles to patients’ faces.

“General surgeons are also commonly in charge of surgical intensive care units or trauma intensive care units and are expected to recognise and provide early management and appropriate referral in urgent problems,” he said.