Prof. Adekunle Okesina, the former Chairman of the National Committee of Provosts of Colleges of Health Sciences, has called on medical practitioners to embrace emerging technologies, particularly local innovations, to overcome barriers in patient management.
Okesina made this appeal during his retirement and 70th birthday celebrations in Ilorin, where he noted the significance of sharing ideas among healthcare practitioners as a crucial strategy for enhancing patient care.
As a Chemical Pathologist, Okesina highlighted the necessity of knowledge sharing and expertise exchange within the medical field to foster innovation, improve medical devices, and facilitate research breakthroughs. He emphasised that the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by practitioners is essential for addressing Nigeria’s patient management challenges.
In a related lecture, Prof. Simeon Adebisi, the Immediate Past Provost of Benue State University’s College of Health Sciences, defined Chemical Pathology as a discipline focused on understanding the biochemical basis of diseases. Adebisi encouraged Nigerian doctors to leverage emerging technologies in patient management, pointing out the global trend towards multidisciplinary approaches in healthcare.
Prof. John Obafunwa, Director-General of the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), delivered the keynote speech and praised Okesina for his simplicity, brilliance, and humility.