Yemisi Izuora
To strengthen capacity in pharmaceutical profession in Lagos State, Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the coming election Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has assured members of the pharmaceutical society of Nigeria (PSN) that he will ensure that Lagos State University (LASU) gets faculty of Pharmacy if elected as the Governor.
Sanwo-Olu made the promise on Thursday during an interactive session with the Lagos State chapter of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria on Thursday. He said the state university after more than three decades of existence should be a centre of academic excellence for the production of manpower in the field of pharmacy.
“To strengthen the profession and boost manpower in the field of Pharmacy I am convinced that our state university should have a faculty of Pharmacy. If elected, we will make sure LASU within our 4 years have faculty of Pharmacy. It is not just right that we have Medical College without faculty of Pharmacy. I am promising you that our government will ensure that everything is done to make faculty of Pharmacy a reality for the State owned University.
“As professional body of pharmacists, I will implore you to give us a position paper on what we need to do that will enable us achieve our objective and I can assure that as government, we will do all within our powers to make it a reality.”
The APC candidate told the pharmacists the importance he attached to their profession and the entire health sector in general.
“Your profession is one of the most important fields for human existence. No one can joke with the health sector. So when I received your invitation, I pledged to attend this event regardless of my schedule because it is about health and we must listen to you.”
The chairman of Lagos State chapter of the PSN, Mrs. BTO Adeniran urged Sanwo-Olu to help pharmacists practicing in the State when he gets to government. She described the issue of turnaround time in getting drugs at government hospitals across the State as very cumbersome.
“We need the government to look into the welfare and working condition of pharmacist working in Lagos State. We want upward review of salary and allowances. On capacity development, we need more training for our members so we can serve the state and the public better as integral part of the health system,” the PSN Lagos State Chairman said.