PAMO University Sustains Bridging Healthcare Gaps in Nigeria

Healthcare Gaps in Nigeria

At a recent grand ceremony, PAMO University of Medical Sciences graduated 126 medical professionals, reaffirming its role in helping to address the country’s healthcare manpower shortage amid ongoing mass migration, Blessing Ibunge writes

The recent graduation of 126 medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, and others, from PAMO University of Medical Sciences in Port Harcourt, is a boost to efforts aimed at reducing manpower shortages in the health sector.

The grand ceremony, which doubled as the 8th Founder’s Day, drew parents and graduates who gathered at the school’s auditorium to celebrate the convocation.

The school, the first private institution dedicated solely to medical sciences in the country, was established to bridge healthcare gaps in Nigeria. Since its establishment, the institution has diligently and consciously been playing a critical role in addressing manpower shortages in health institutions in the country and at large.

Speaking at the occasion, the founder and Pro-Chancellor of the university, Dr. Peter Odili, lauded Governor Siminalayi Fubara for his investments in education and the health sector, particularly in primary healthcare.

“With what you have done as our governor, the attention you have paid to education and health is highly commendable. I am sure no state in Nigeria can boast of the quality of zonal hospitals you have built,” he said.

“The emphasis on primary healthcare is excellent, and you have tailored your programmes to align correctly with what Mr. President is doing in the health sector. So far, at least 500 infrastructure projects have been completed across the country.

“The alignment of Rivers State with the federal government is therefore perfect. We support it and encourage it because our people are now in the kitchen where the national cake is baked.”

Odili, who is also a former governor of the state, added that those who work in the kitchen benefit more, urging the people of Rivers to rally behind the governor to ensure the state secures its fair share of national resources. He further expressed concerns over the increasing migration of medical professionals in search of better opportunities, warning that the trend poses serious challenges to Nigeria’s healthcare system.

He described the exodus of medical experts as a national crisis, disclosing that many professors at PAMO University of Medical Sciences are retirees from other institutions who are still actively contributing to medical education.

“Judges can suspend work for months, engineers can halt construction, but no medical professional can afford the luxury of suspending treatment of patients. Let us make our pastures greener in Nigeria,” Odili said.

The Pro-Chancellor called for an upward review of the remuneration of doctors and other health professionals, as well as an extension of the retirement age of medical practitioners to about 70 years, saying such measures would help stem the brain drain in the sector. He also gave another tip, urging states to emulate Rivers by embarking on mass training of medical doctors through scholarship schemes, saying it would reduce the ‘japa’ effect by replacing those who leave the country.

Governor Fubara, in his remarks, commended PAMO University for bridging the healthcare gaps in Nigeria. He expressed optimism that medical professionals trained at the university will play a critical role in addressing manpower shortages in health institutions across Rivers and Nigeria at large.

Fubara, who was represented by his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu, reaffirmed the state government’s unwavering support for the university, noting that it has consistently produced disciplined, well-trained graduates who serve as worthy ambassadors of both the state and the university.

Fubara likened the growth of PUMS to the biblical mustard seed that has blossomed into a mighty tree, describing it as a flagship centre for medical education. He said the increasing number of medical graduates remains a source of pride and clear evidence of the institution’s positive impact on society.

The governor expressed satisfaction that the state government’s investment in the university—particularly through scholarships for hundreds of Rivers indigenes—was yielding positive results. He assured that the state government would continue to support the institution, especially given the quality of the medical graduates it produces.

Earlier, the Chancellor of the university and former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), said the approval of academic programmes by the National Universities Commission (NUC) was aimed at strengthening the quality of healthcare professionals in the country.

Abubakar commended national regulatory bodies for inducting the university’s graduates into professional associations and reaffirmed the institution’s zero tolerance for social vices among staff and students.

Also speaking was the Acting Vice-Chancellor of PAMO University of Medical Sciences, Prof. Smith Jaja, who reiterated the institution’s zero-tolerance policy on misconduct. He urged the graduates to be worthy ambassadors of the university and to strive to surpass their predecessors’ achievements.

The university, which officially opened on February 10, 2018 in a serene environment in Port Harcourt, is a well-equipped and furnished to world-class institution dedicated only to medical sciences in the country.

It operates three faculties: the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, and the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences. All its programmes are fully accredited by relevant medical and health professional bodies, including the National Universities Commission (NUC), the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, and the Medical Laboratory Council, among others.

Hinged on maintaining its standards and policies, admission into the school is strictly based on merit with all the students taken in as residents on campus. It also has absolute zero tolerance for cultism and other related vices for both staff and students.

For students to fully concentrate on their studies and not show off affluence, they are not allowed to use private cars on campus, and are not allowed to loiter. Even visitors, parents and guardians are not allowed to have unscheduled visits.

Furthermore, the institution has some roles to foster modesty. It frowns at indecent dressing, as students are not allowed to wear revealing or provocative clothes. The school has a dress code for lectures and official functions for both students and officials.

PUMS boasts of conducive classrooms, halls, laboratories and library facilities and a home-away-from home hostel facility. Each room has two students. All the rooms are en suite with constant water supply and water heater. There is a 24-hour power supply policy.

One of the university’s major strengths is its access to an established teaching hospital founded in the 1980s by its proprietor, a renowned medical doctor. The facility, PAMO Clinics and Hospitals Group, complements the university’s memorandum of understanding with the state government and the state’s University Teaching Hospital, where students also undertake clinical training.

In addition, the university had since unveiled PAMO University Hospital, a 250-bed, purpose-built, multi-specialty tertiary private hospital. The facility offers patient care across a wide range of medical and surgical specialties, providing accessible healthcare services to Rivers communities, neighbouring states, and Nigeria at large.

The hospital delivers services in internal medicine, family medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, and paediatrics, catering to individuals, families, and corporate organisations.

Unlike many universities where students are not exposed to hospital practice until their fourth year, PAMO University ensures early hands-on clinical exposure for its students. This approach allows students to gain practical experience from the early stages of their training, strengthening their medical knowledge and professional competence.