At Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, it is no longer news that the Alumni Associations are living up to their responsibilities of giving back to their alma-mater by donating generously to the University. What is news is the healthy rivalry among the branches to outdo one another.
This has led to a donation spree which continued on Wednesday, May 15, 2019 with the OACHS Medical Alumni Association (OMAA), 1982/1983 sets (a.k.a “The Ancestors”,) donating medical equipment worth ₦2 million to the Obafemi Awolowo College of Health Sciences (OACHS), Olabisi Onabanjo University.
Presenting the medical equipment on behalf of her colleagues, Dr. (Mrs.) Folashade Fasina said that as alumni, they were ready to make their contributions to ensure the growth and development of their Alma-Mater since, according to her, there was no other institution to call their own apart from Olabisi Onabanjo University. Dr. (Mrs.) Fasina said “we must give back to our University because we don’t want to be products of a defunct Medical School”. She also revealed that her set had previously made a donation of a Solar Power System to the Final Year Students’ Hostel in 2017.
the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof. (Mrs.) Ebun Oduwole (3rd from right )
Giving details of the donation, Dr (Mrs.) Fasina said that an ECG Machine with 12 channels, Kymograph Machine and Kymograph Sheets would go to the Department of Physiology to enhance teaching and research in the Department while the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology would be beneficiary of an Ultrasound Scanning Machine to aid the training of the Residents of the Department. Other medical equipment that were donated included sphygmomanometers, glucometers and pulse oximeters which she said would be very useful for the Departments of Community Medicine and Primary Care, Emergency Department and Surgery and Medicine.
She reiterated the desire of OMAA to consistently contribute towards the growth of the Medical School. Dr (Mrs.) Fasina seized the opportunity to commend the efforts of the University Management under the leadership of Prof. Ganiyu Olatunji Olatunde for being open and receptive to the Alumni of the University as a whole. She, however, appealed to the College to see to the subsequent maintenance of the solar system which was donated by her set to power the Medical Students’ Hostel. She revealed that her set had concluded arrangement to award the contract for its maintenance in a matter of weeks.
In his opening remarks, the Ag. Head of Department, Physiology, Dr. E.O. Taiwo welcomed members of the 1982/1983 sets of OMAA and thanked them profusely for deeming it right to task themselves through the purchase of medical equipment for their alma-mater. He said that with the donation, his Department has moved to the next level. Dr. E.O. Taiwo lamented that in the past, his Department was making use of smoked drum for nerve muscle experimentation and a 4-channel ECG machine. However, “with the presentation of these new modern medical equipment, teaching and research would be interesting and less challenging”, Dr. E.O. Taiwo enthused.
The Head of Department described the donation as the beginning of many great things to come. He specially thanked the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof (Mrs) Ebun Oduwole, who she described, as a major link between the College and the Alunmi, which hastened the delivery of the equipment by the alumni.
Earlier in the programme, Prof. (Mrs.) Fetuga, Dean, Clinical Sciences who was representing the Provost of the College, Prof. O. Olatunji said that the College appreciated the support and goodwill of the medical alumni in donating medical equipment to their alma-mater. She observed that the donation would serve as a challenge to other sets and it would also sensitize the current medical students in giving back to their University upon graduation. Prof. (Mrs.) Fetuga also noted that the trend in the University now was donation galore from the Alumni branches. She added that this was made possible by the importance the University Management attached to alumni relations as part of an institutional advancement. She commended the management for encouraging the alumni to support the University in its development.
Making his own remarks, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ganiyu Olatunji Olatunde said that he was very proud to associate himself with “The Ancestors”. He described them as a very strong, reliable and committed set of doctors. Speaking further, the Vice-Chancellor who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof. (Mrs.) Ebun Oduwole, revealed that it was Dr Akinlabi in conjunction with some members of the 1982/1983 sets that actually initiated, co-ordinated and facilitated the entire process of the donation.
Prof. (Mrs.) Oduwole congratulated the current medical students for having that singular opportunity of being a beneficiaries of such donation. She, however, stated that the Management has put in place a robust policy of transparency in handling all donations and purchases received on behalf of the University. She, therefore, called on other sets to brace up and give back to their alma-mater. She also urged the current set of medical students to emulate the 82/83 sets for their laudable donations.
Amongst the dignitaries that graced the occasion were Prof. Familoni, a Consultant Cardiologist, Prof. (Mrs.) O. A. Ogundahunsi, Dean Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Dr (Mrs.) Jaiyesimi Ebun Oluwa, Consultant Epidermologist, Drs Akindele and Sorohumu .
