The Federal Government has pledged to support the production of medical equipment at the Federal University of Allied Health Sciences, Enugu (FUAHSE), for both local and international markets.
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Adekunle Salako, made the commitment during an inspection of hospital equipment designed and produced by the university’s Biomedical Engineering students in Enugu.
Addressing members of the University Senate, he expressed satisfaction with the innovations, noting that the equipment had proven useful and reliable even during his time in private medical practice.
He emphasised the importance of developing medical manpower, stating that President Bola Tinubu’s administration places high priority on healthcare and aims to produce health professionals, who can serve both within and outside the country.
“Therefore, the university occupies a big space and has a responsibility to help the Federal Government to achieve this laudable goal,” Salako said.
He urged the university’s lecturers to commit to the urgent task of training competent health professionals, assuring them of the government’s backing in upgrading the institution’s medical centre, particularly through the adoption of electronic medical records.
“The Federal Government will support all the projects that are ongoing in the university. Biomedical Engineering will be supported to produce equipment that are of international standard. We will push it higher to a level that can get international patronage to boost revenue generation.
“I’m satisfied that the university is moving in the right direction and I assure you of my support and that of the ministry. The Vice Chancellor is making sacrifices and I encourage him to continue to have fulfilment in the job to produce a new set of generations that can make the nation proud,” he added.
In recognition of his visit and contributions to the health sector, Dr. Salako was conferred with an Honorary Distinguished Fellowship by the Senate of the University.