A photo taken on October 21, 2014 shows the ward where the first reported case of the Ebola virus in Nigeria was brought by Liberian-American Patrick Sawyer who contaminated nurses and health workers at First Consultants Hospital in Obalende, Lagos. Nigeria was declared Ebola-free on October 20 in a “spectacular success” in the battle to contain the spread of a virus which is devastating Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia where more than 4,500 people have died. The World Health Organization said Nigeria — Africa’s most populous country where eight deaths had sparked fears of a rapid spread through its teeming cities — had shown the world “that Ebola can be contained”. AFP PHOTO
By Chioma Obinna
The Provost, College of Medicine of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, CMUL, Prof. Folashade Ogunsola has appealed to graduates of the 2015/2016 Physiotherapy programme to be passionate about their profession in the interest of their patients and mankind.
Ogunsola who made the appeal at the Physiotherapy Induction and Special Award ceremony of 63 Physiotherapists trained at the Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Clinical Sciences of the College recalled that the set’s induction ceremony would be the last she would officiate before her exit, admonished the graduands to live up to expectation.
Noting that physiotherapy is a dynamic health care profession, she urged the graduands to be change agents by first ensuring that they are courageous in all their decisions and choices.
“Your set came in as I was starting my tenure as Provost and it is fitting that you are the last set to whom I speak as I exit. The cake is baked. I strongly urge all our graduating set to go after the icing and really ice their cake and colour, make an indelible mark on the world.
“Whether you are successful or not depends on you. The College has started you on the path of excellence therefore; pursue excellence building your life one choice at a time. Make a choice each day to be the best at what you do and to give your best to any situation.”
She noted that Dr. Olu Okewo who donated a building to physiotherapy, had sowed into the future generations of physiotherapists and also sowed into Nigeria‘s human resource for health.
On her part, the Guest Lecturer, Wing Commander NV Esionye Uzodimma, who noted that the change Nigeria required lies in the hands of everyone, described the graduands as a generation that must find a path back to prosperity and must decide how the nation responds to recession that has left the economy bleeding.
“You are now armed with one of the most important tools needed to forge ahead. Your journey ahead will be about what you have learnt along the way, and what you do with the education and experience you have gotten in your journey to graduation today.”
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