Committed to the World Health Organization, WHO’s vision of taking qualitative healthcare to the doorstep of everyone across the globe, The Embassy of Health and Wellness, has kicked off healthcare training programmes for students and teachers in One hundred and twelve (112) Federal Unity schools across the country.
The training programme which has the backing of the Federal government with all the relevant government agencies involved, commenced at the Federal Government College, Ijanikin, Lagos for unity Schools in the South West Zone of the country.
In a remark, the Chief Mission Director of the Embassy of Health and Wellness, Dr. Chiemelie Eze said that the overall goal of the programme is to populate the country with qualified healthcare providers for effective health service delivery for Nigerians; promote a healthy workforce, make Nigeria a hub for Medical tourism and give students in the medical field focus.
“We have introduced the concept of internship in secondary school wherefore students in secondary school get equipped with knowledge and skills by getting them engaged, enhanced, empowered and finally enabled that they can get certificated in secondary school even before they get to the university. That keeps their vision alive and by the time they get to the university, you realize that they had known exactly what they are going for, they are certain that it is healthcare course or nothing and they would have actually known that is their rightful destiny”, said Dr. Eze.
The theme of the training programme is “empowering the next generation of healthcare leaders”.
Chanting the slogan of the training programme, which is “Health for All…All for Health”, the participants comprising students and biology teachers expressed their Joy for being part of the programme.
It was an interesting sight watching the students and their teachers from all the Federal Unity schools in the southwest Zone of the country, sharing knowledge gained.
Dr. Eze said that within three days of the training, the trainees were taken from the level of confusion to knowledge, as they were exposed to common medical conditions and how they could handle them.
According to him, “this is a healthcare training programme for students and teachers in 112 Unity Schools across Nigeria and we have gathered here at the first school host, Federal Government College, Ijanikin, Lagos. One the first day, it was awesome, the second day was electrifying. Today being the third day, we are going to take them from the level of confusion to a level of induction.
“We took them from the level of confusion, not knowing what to do for. They didn’t know which course that they would go for. So what we did was to move them from that level of confusion to a level of stability. Today, we are actually taking them from that level of stability to a level of excellence and induction. That’s is why you see them appear in uniform of The Embassy of Health and Wellness, with the cap”.
He pointed out that the that the medically trained and certificated students could work as interns in hospitals and earn money while still in secondary school and when they get to the University, they would have already known where they were heading in life.
“When they get into different hospitals, they will become interns. They work to earn and they can do this in Nigeria, Africa or the world. And if they do it in the world, the merrier. So when they now get to the university, they have already been certificated in healthcare course. During holiday, they can work in hospital to support their tuition. This gives them a sense of adult on time.
“If they decide to have their education abroad,the merrier, because whilst they are there, they would be able to take certain stipends as people who are certificated in the healthcare course. They are already doctor assistants, or may be pharmacists. What that means is that they would have been certificated in becoming healthcare assistants -nurse assistants, pharmacy technicians. In abroad,they earn up to 10 to 15 dollars per hour. If they earn that amount , their parents will spend little or nothing and Ministry of Education that would have spent money for scholarships, making sure that our people are well equipped with optimized skill will spend less monies”, he added
The Chief Mission Director further stated that the initiative is also in tandem with the strong vision of the Federal government to make the nation more productive.
He said, “The Embassy of Health and Wellness in partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria and all the Ministries that are involved -the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Health, and even that of Arts and Culture are doing this.
“It is also pertinent to say that there are a lot of partners to this event. The Enviable Transport which is essentially chaired by Obi Cubana is here. They are working together to ensure that we have everything working out for excellence. Everybody exercising their corporate social responsibility. The Ambulances , the customized vehicles taking stakeholders and every other person. We are working together to make this happen.
“The Nigerian Television Authority, The Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria,VIO and the whole lot. The Minister of Information and National Orientation and the Permanent Secretary of the ministry had worked tirelessly to ensure that this would have robust coverage. So, it is a federal government thing and is in tandem with the dream of Mr. President who wants every sector to be productive to ensure that things are transfigured from the level of nothingness to greatness”.
Eze explained that the organization was birthed as a fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the aimed of raising adequate number of qualified medical professionals to efficiently respond to emergencies in the country.
One of the teachers participating in the program, Mrs Olufowobi Olamide , Assistant Director of Education, Federal Government College Ijanikin, said “it has been educative and informative. The students as well as the teachers are eager to learn and they could see themselves as healthcare providers despite the fact that they are not into the real medical line. And you can see the enthusiasm in them.
As I am now, despite the fact that I am a teacher, I should be able to revive somebody through this course. I should be able to bandage a wound if I see anybody that has a cut and so many other things”.
Some Principals , Vice Principals and teachers of the participating unity Schools commend the initiative.
At the end of the programme , the trainees would be examined and those that came top from the various geopolitical zones would be gathered in Abuja for further empowerment opportunities.
Some of them could be given scholarships in the best schools in the world and during holidays they would be given internship opportunities abroad.
From Unity Schools, the organizer is planning to expand the training to students and teachers of other schools and indeed Nigerians who aspire for excellence in the medical field.
The Embassy of Health and Wellness is an affiliate of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Missions with Special Consultative Status.
By Innocent Onoh (+2348034158834)
