The Nigerian Senate has passed the second reading of a bill aimed at establishing a teaching hospital for the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA).
This move is seen as a crucial step towards bolstering medical education and healthcare infrastructure in tChe region.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire (APC, Ondo Central), was presented during Wednesday’s plenary session.
Senator Adegbonmire emphasized the urgent need for a dedicated teaching facility, noting that "students of FUTA, who are enrolled in the Medicine and Surgery program, are now approaching their clinical years, which they have to spend in a teaching hospital a facility that the institution currently lacks."
Since 2010, when the National University Commission (NUC) approved FUTA's MBBS program, the university has been preparing to meet the clinical training requirements for its students.
Currently, these students rely on a temporary arrangement with the Ondo State General Hospital in Akure, highlighting the pressing need for a permanent solution.
The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, referred the bill to the Committee on Tertiary Institutions and Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) for further legislative scrutiny. He instructed that the committee report back to the Senate within four weeks, underscoring the importance of expediting the process.
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