Abuja – Prof. Biodun Adeyinka, Chairman, Faculty of Radiology, National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, Ibadan, has described the number of radiologists in the country as grossly inadequate.
Adeyinka said this at a conference jointly organised by the Faculty of Radiology of the College of Nigeria and Association of Radiologists in Nigeria (ARIN) on Tuesday in Abuja.
The theme of the conference is entitled: “Capacity building in Radiology in Nigeria’’.
“The number of radiologists and radiotherapists in the nation totalling 300 and 35, respectively, are grossly inadequate compare to the nation’s population,’’ he said.
Adeyinka, who expressed displeasure over the current state of the profession, solicited the assistant of the Federal Government and private organisations at ensuring that they are acquainted with the current innovations and trend in the profession.
He further said that efficient training of radiologists with modern and new equipment would transcend to quality healthcare delivery.
“We need the Federal Government and the private sector to give their support in the training of radiologists because it is very expensive to train them.
[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]
“The resources to train a single radiologist or radiotherapist are not available in the country.
“We need to send them abroad to complete the training like the interventional radiology where you can use radiology to treat surgical procedures which is economical compare to surgery.
“We only have two of such equipment in the country and the people with such specialty are only five in number.
“They specialise in the treatment of fibroid,’’ he said.
Also, Dr Aliu Akano, Chairman, ARIN Local Organising Committee, appealed to the college to ensure high standard training in both science and character.
Akano noted that high proportion of patients in the hospital passed through the lens of radiologists, adding that anything short of that would amount to an exercise in futility.
He, however, appealed for concerted efforts of all and sundry to give the profession a facelift through adequate manpower training, among others.
“The importance of radiology as a specialty cannot be over-emphasised as a high proportion of patients in hospitals would need to pass through the lens of the diagnostic radiologist.
“Or the gamma knife of radiotherapists/Oncologist for effective medical management of such patients,’’ Akano said. (NAN)