By Anthony Adgidzi, Akwanga, Mu'azu Osekalago & Danmusa Mohammed

Nasarawa State Government has warned that, henceforth, any medical personnel found to be engaged in unethical medical practice in the state, would have their professional certificates withdrawn.

The state commissioner for health, Alhaji Abubakar Sarki Dahiru stated this at the second graduation ceremony of the Evangelical Reform Church of Christ (ERCC) School of Health Technology, Alushi in Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area.

The commissioner who was represented by Mr. Daniel Arilaka, a director in the ministry, said the health sector was crucial to the survival of any country and assured that the state government would ensure that only professionals were allowed to practice.

He reiterated that, the certificate offered to them was a demonstration of the confidence reposed in them by the society urging them to live up to this expectation.

The commissioner who expressed satisfaction with the performance of the ERCC School of Health Technology, Alushi, said that arrangements were underway to engage graduates of the school in the state civil service.

He called on the authority of the school to constitute a committee that would meet and dialogue with the state government through the ministry of health on the ways to tackle the problems facing the institution.

While congratulating the graduands, the ERCC president, Rev. Adamu Akyala charged them to put God first in whatever they do and to avoid acts that could jeopardize their professional career.

The ERCC president also urged the graduands to desist from illegal practices and sale of fake drugs, calling on them to put the knowledge they acquired into practice for the benefit of the community.

In his speech, the principal, School of Health Technology, Alushi, Mr. Daniel Markus Anche said, the main priority of the institution was the provision of health services to rural communities and increasing the medical manpower of the state.

The principal called on the state government to help the school by providing it with a befitting library, school bus and increased subvention to enable the school run its routine academic activities effectively.

He also appealed to the state government to grant scholarship to students of the institution, “70% of whom, are indigenes of the state”, he stressed.

A total of 214 students were awarded with certificate of completion, while 10 students received award for moral conduct, discipline and academic excellence.

In a related development, the Nasarawa State government said it would embark on the construction of a standard central medical store in Lafia, the state capital .

Speaking to Nigerian Newsday in an exclusive interview last week, the commissioner for health, Alhaji Abubakar Sarki Dahiru, said the medical store when constructed, would have standard storage centre for medical equipment and a state-of-the art cold room.

He said the state government was committed to the provision of good health facility as a way of enhancing health-care delivery system in line with its 13-point agenda.

Alhaji Dahiru also said plans have been concluded to construct a befitting General Hospital in Lafia Municipal so as to decongest the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH).

Responding to questions on free medical care for pregnant women and children, the commissioner said, “we shall enhance the scope of the service so as to make sure rural women benefit from it effectively”. He assured that the programme has come to stay, describing it as a confirmation of Governor Doma’s readiness to provide health care delivery to the people.

He said the ministry of health would soon commence capacity building for all health personnel in the state with a view to equipping them for the challenges of a dynamic medical profession”.

Alhaji Dahiru disclosed that all the necessary machinery has been set in motion for the smooth accreditation of courses run by the state owned school of nursing and midwifery. “We are waiting for the new federal government committee on the accreditation of courses run by schools of nursing and midwifery nationwide. On our part, we have concluded all the necessary arrangement”.

He said work on the permanent site of the school of nursing would soon be completed, noting that Health System Development Project (HSDP) had pledged to finance 80% of the project.

The commissioner, however, reiterated the state government’s commitment towards providing quality health care services to the people and called on the people to report any medical personnel who indulged in unethical medical practice.