Amidst Supreme Court victory of Governor A.A Sule which is well deserved and expected by Nasarawa people to the development of Nasarawa State says Alhaji Dr. Suleiman Abdullahi Muhammad the provost of Nasarawa State College of Health Science and technology Keffi.
Making this assertion during the maiden Induction of graduands of Community Health Practitioners of Nasarawa State from Famsas, Mu’assana and Jubliation College of Health technology and the 4th Induction of pharmacy technician graduates stated that in the past five years of Governor A.A Sule administration he was able to develop and transform Nasarawa State in the area of infrastructure, Social, Human and Industrial Investment in Nasarawa State.
“Governor A.A Sule in all the thirteen Local Government Council and major town in Nasarawa State lafia, Doma, Akwanga, Keffi, Mararaba, Karu have developed the urban cities and build more roads. “he stated”.
The provost added that his Excellency in human development employed so many youths into the civil service and several government agencies and parastatals in addition to social development and poverty alleviation. Etc. he maintained.
Meanwhile Dr Suleiman Abdullahi Muhammad in his welcome address stated that in the spirit of partnership it is a struggle to provide needed qualitative training of middle cadre professionals in this prestigious institution.
He said today signify a remarkable day in the history of these fields of Community Health and Pharmacy Technician Practice. We are together registering our hands in golden history of witnessing the first ever induction of CHEW and JCHEW graduands fully compliment their
Professional requirement and 4th induction of graduands of Pharmacy Technicians here in NSCOHSTK.
Going to memory lane he said the department and indeed the field answered a call from its originator, the former Minister of Health of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof. Olukuyi Ramson Kuti after alma mata declaration that gave birth to Primary Health Care (PHC).
This College introduced such programme since her inception as School of Health Technology, Keffi in 1999. He revealed.
The Provost who called on the Hon. Commissioner of Health, Royal Fathers, Guest of Honor informed that the College has successfully graduated one thousand, five hundred and seventy five (1575) CHEW, One thousand and Fifty JCHEW (1050) from 2002-2023 (23years). Adding that such are record without pride, other Sister Colleges here were given birth by this College. This College recorded 79% and 60% scores from the last board National Examinations for CHEW and JCHEW respectively.
The training of CHEW and JCHEW without any doubt assisted our rural communities by providing quality primary health care service delivery in the state. This profession suffers a lot of mutilation from within and outside where other cadres in the health Industry envy the Practice of the profession creating difficulties for the cadre to progress academically and otherwise. Another challenge recorded from outside is current proliferation of establishing training Institution in some streets haboring students for CHEW and other Cadre uncheck promote quackery jeopardizing effort of Government and regulatory bodies. I urge the stakeholders to develop a template that will minimize this unfortunate situation. PHARMACY TECHNICIAN PROGRAMME 2 Pharmacy technician programme was introduced by the College in 2017 and we have successfully graduated 199 students. The programme record huge success of scoring 100% in the last year council examination and year before that. The first set of the graduands were all absorbed into Nasarawa State Civil Service as graciously approved by His Excellency Engr. A. A. Sule. We enjoy the company of your board and council for good guidance and support leading us to achieve NBTE Accreditation of 3 programme at ND and HND levels and other Two National Diploma (ND) namely Nutrition and Dietetics, Health Information Management, & Environmental Health Technology others include ND Community Health and Dispensing Opticianry; in no distance time Pharmacy Technician will follow suit. 3. His Excellency Engr. A. A. Sule has in his wisdom upgraded the status of the School to become a College after20years of its establishment and relocated it to its permanent site in 2020. Our collaboration has gone far too also achieve SIWES Unit accredited the only in the State.
The College facility is to be use for Degree awarding centre courtesy Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Ogbomosho (LAUTECH) on health and related programme, to commence this year. Nasarawa State College of Health Science and Technology Keffi is the only Government College of Health science in the State and therefore requires joint support by all the regulatory bodies and other private institutions to compliment the Government effort given it preference in terms of quota and events.
The Provost who said that the efforts of these professional regulatory bodies for collaborating with some Universities to introduce courses at BSc and MSc level to enable the academic progress of our products was a good success in the right direction opined that the Recent BSc in Community Health and Health Information Technology were introduced in Nasarawa State University (NSUK).
On CHALLENGES where there are successes definitely challenges abound. The training witnesses today proliferation of so many health training colleges without licenses. This makes them not keep to standard and end up producing half-baked professionals that will endanger the lives of our teeming population. Also, lack of direction for further studies. We must appreciate the board for providing us with training platform, supervisions, checks through accreditation and licensing of our graduands to practice in the field. This is definitely a professional responsibility but we must call on the board to reconsider her training Colleges by increasing the numbers of index to enable us curb pressure from our communities whose quest to study the field keep soaring higher. We commended the effort of his Excellency Engr. A. A. Sule for supporting our noble course and urge him to complete the construction of Male Hostel, increase our human resource and funding. These inadequacies retard the progress of the College as expected. Finally I want to use this medium on behalf of my colleagues to express our appreciation to Our host community notably His Royal Highness Emir of Keffi, Alh. Dr. Shehu Muhammad Chindo Yamusa III, Etsu Karu. Pharmacist Luka Panyam, Emir of Sabon Gari, Alh. Rilwanu Adamu, Chairmen of the Councils, the Parents, the Press and all for giving us opportunity to carry out the training without hindrance. Thank you very much and God bless! Alh. Dr. Suleiman Abdullahi Mohammed Provost, Nasarawa State College of Health Science and Technology, Keffi