FG to build 8 simulations centers to enhance medical education

By Mariam Abeeb

The Federal Government is set to build eight state-of-the-art medical simulation centers across the country to enhance medical education and training.

To oversee this initiative, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has inaugurated a 19-member Implementation and Monitoring Committee for Medicals Simulation Centers, chaired by renowned neurosurgeon Prof. Wale Sulaiman.

The simulation centers are designed to provide a realistic and immersive learning environment for medical students and healthcare professionals, allowing them to practice and hone their skills in a safe and controlled setting.

This initiative aims to improve patient safety, reduce medical errors, and increase the number of skilled healthcare professionals in Nigeria.

Inaugurating the committee on Wednesday, Alausa noted that the  findings of the ad-hoc committee revealed that medical simulation centers are virtually non-existent in Nigerian medical institutions, and modern training tools, such as virtual patients and telemedicine platforms, remain underutilized.

To address this gap, the Minister charged the committee to finalize the proposal, ensure compliance with goals and objectives, oversee implementation, and develop quality assurance measures and standard operating procedures.

“Specifically, the terms of reference of the committee are, number one, work on the finalisation of the proposal to set up approved medical simulation centres to create a clear roadmap to the actualisation of simulation centres within the specified time frame. Number two, ensure compliance with the goals and objectives of the simulation centre. Number three, work with selected institutions on the set-up of simulation centres.

“Number four, oversee and monitor the implementation of simulation centres across the country to ensure compliance with expectations. Number five, provide project management oversight of the simulation centres. Number six, develop modalities for implementation of other recommendations from the reports submitted by the Teflon committee on medical simulation.

“Number seven, develop and implement quality assurance measures and standard operating procedures for simulation centres. Number eight, develop detailed key performance indicators for the simulation centres and institutions. Number nine, may engage the external support and expertise that are not readily obtainable within the committee, including technical support, consultants, and others,” he said.

The Minister, who noted that the committee was carefully selected, added that  membership of the committee “is one initial appointment of a three-year term, enabled for another three-year term as needed.”

“So, they’ve carefully added additional members.  We’re starting with eight simulation centres, which is quite good,” he noted.

The committee will also ensure financial sustainability through social mobility models and align medical schools and teaching hospitals.

The Minister emphasised the importance of ensuring that the centers are self-financially sustainable and urged the committee to develop modalities for implementation.