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Chief Medical Director, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Prof. Adetokunbo Fabamwo, has explained that the hospital management established the School of Orthopaedic Cast Technology and School of Anaesthetic Technology to address the rising brain drain in the country.
He said that the school had identified the manpower gap in anaesthetic and orthopaedic medicine, and started thinking of addressing it.
The institution had last Wednesday matriculated 79 students in its School of Orthopaedic Cast Technology and School of Anaesthetic Technology to equip middle manpower with skills to enhance healthcare delivery in the country.
The matriculation saw 38 students from the School of Orthopaedic Cast Technology and 41 students from the School of Anaesthetic Technology enroll for a National Diploma (ND) programme.
According to the CMD, the country’s health institutions have physician anaesthetists and orthopaedic surgeons, but need middle manpower, adding that there has always been a need for anesthetics technicians who assist in getting the equipment ready to be used in the theatre.
Fabamwo said the technicians were trained to clean the equipment, detect flaws and ensure the equipment are ready for the anesthetists to use. He noted that it would be a disaster if a patient is put to sleep and then in the middle of the procedure the machine develops fault.
Orthopaedic cast technologists, he added, offer some kind of support to the orthopaedic surgeons as they put Plaster of Paris (POP) and carry out some other minor procedures on patients, fractures and other injuries in the limbs.
“We identified those gaps and identified that as a teaching hospital, we have the mandate to set up training schools; so we set about navigating how to go about it. We enjoyed the cooperation of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) in guiding us and piloting us along the way towards establishing these schools. So, this is what led to the birthing of the School of Anesthetic Technology last year.
“Today, we are having the second set of matriculation for the School of Anaesthetic Technology, but for the school of Orthopaedic Cast Technology, this is the first matriculation we are having for them,” he said.
Head, School of Anaesthetic Technology, Dr. Titilola Awodesu, said apart from the theoretical aspect, the students were doing their practical, with the first set in their third clinical posting of their practicals and fit to stand anywhere to assist the anesthetists in their job.
The Head, School of Orthopaedic Cast Technology, Oluwatoyin Babarimisa, said: “We have brain drain and shortage of manpower everywhere, especially in the health sector. So, the nurses and doctors that are overworking themselves will have these ones on board and the stress will be less.”
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