Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara has directed the immediate identification of youths with science qualifications for admissions and Government scholarship for Degrees in medicine and related programmes across Universities in Cairo, Egypt.
Zulum gave the order to the State’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, on Tuesday in Maiduguri, when he received a report from a high powered committee tasked with developing framework for the establishment of Borno State University Teaching hospital, and a medical college, both of which would qualify the state University to offer Degree programmes in Medicine and other medical fields.
Zulum inaugurated the committee in July, 2020, and in November, Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire laid foundation for the hospital in Maiduguri, on Governor Zulum’s request, with work progressing at a site in Jimtilo, not far from the University’s campus.
Former Chief Medical Director of existing University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Professor Othman Kyari, chaired the committee whose mandate included recommending design, site, a construction plan and establishment of a medical college at the State owned University established in 2016 and began academics in 2019.
Presenting the report of the committee to the Governor, Kyari said the committee had visited the best medical institutions and colleges to identify structures, equipment and manpower before coming up with recommendations, some of which were already being implemented by the Governor.
He explained further that, the construction of the new teaching hospital will be carried out in two phases, with the first which is ongoing, to have phase 400 beds; and the other to 200 beds, to make a combined capacity of 600 beds.
Kyari added that the committee had adopted the name: “Borno State College of Health Sciences” to make it flexible for the State University, to have the latitude of training other paramedical students, in addition to medical doctors.
