Mediaage NG News – ABUJA, Nigeria (Tuesday 25th June, 2024)
Nigeria’s Minister of State, Health & Social Welfare, Dr. Tunji Alausa has commended Marcelle Ruth Cancer Centre for playing a pivotal role to improve health outcomes for cancer patients in Nigeria.
He also praised the centre for advancing the overall standard of medical care in the country.
Represented by Dr. Lolade Adeyemi, Special Adviser on Research and Innovation to the Minister, he revealed this while congratulating the specialist hospital and its Co-Founder and CEO, Dr Modupe Elebute-Odunsi for getting accredited by the National Postgraduate Medical College (NPMC) to offer Residency programs in Clinical and Radiation Oncology.
“This is the first of its kind for a private hospital in Nigeria and it epresents a significant leap forward in our nation’s healthcare sector, the Minister said.
“The inception of this residency program is not merely an academic achievement; it is a vital contribution towards addressing the critical shortage of oncology specialists in our country..
“This initiative is perfectly aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President as it gives hope to everyday Nigerians by increasing access to care”, Dr. Tunji stated.
“We are particularly pleased to see this program come to fruition through the collaborative efforts involving key stakeholders such as the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria. We appreciate the Chief Medical Director of LUTH, Prof. Wasiu Lanre Adeyemo, FAS, and the College Registrar, Prof. Fatiu Abiola Arogundade, FMCP, for their indispensable support.
The Minister also encouraged prospective residents and stakeholders in healthcare education to utilise the opportunity presented by Marcelle Ruth Cancer Centre.
Dr Elebute-Odunsi, while expressing her delight in the accreditation by the National Postgraduate Medical College (NPMC) to offer Residency programs in Clinical and Radiation Oncology, “we are delighted to participate in much-needed capacity building to increase the number of Oncology specialists by the provision of first-class postgraduate Clinical and Radiation Oncology training within the country”.
In a statement by the Co-Founder and CEO of Marcelle Ruth Cancer Centre and Specialist Hospital, Dr Modupe Elebute-Odunsi expressed her joy at being the first private hospital in Nigeria to achieve this accolade in the field of Oncology.
Dr Elebute-Odunsi said, “we are delighted to participate in much-needed capacity building to increase the number of Oncology specialists by the provision of first-class postgraduate Clinical and Radiation Oncology training within the country”.
She said the initiative is in line with the Sustainable Development Goal 17 to improve capacity building and appreciated the Minister “whose pivotal role and collaborative policies have been instrumental in integrating the private sector into post-graduate training initiatives”.
“This partnership marks a significant step towards fortifying the capacity of our healthcare workforce in the specialized field of oncology”, she said.
“At Marcelle Ruth, we understand the profound responsibility that comes with this accreditation. We will craft an exemplary curriculum that not only meets but exceeds international benchmarks.
“Our first-class centre, which provides comprehensive cancer care including on-site surgical and radiotherapy services, will be instrumental in the professional development of new oncologists with the requisite expertise and compassion to deliver exceptional patient care.
She encouraged those interested in pursuing the transformative opportunity offered by the Centre to monitor the hospital’s website for updates on the selection criteria and the application process and expressed appreciation to the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Prof. Wasiu Lanre Adeyemo, FAS, as well as the College Registrar of the National Postgraduate College of Nigeria, Prof. Fatiu Abiola Arogundade, FMCP for their invaluable support to see the accreditation come fruition.