HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The faculty of Medicine was created in October; 1987, at a location formerly serving as the Teachers’ Training college, Okofia, Otolo Nnewi. It was headed by Prof. B.C. Umerah, appointed by the University Council, who was on sabbatical leave from the University of Nigeria. `
The first group of pre-Medical Students, 45 in all, were then taught, largely by visiting staff from other universities. Prof. S.P. Singh of the University of Calabar gave the first lecture in Anatomy Department. The first lecture in Biochemistry was given by Prof. M.U.K. Mgbodile, former head of that department. In physiology, Professor G.C. Ezeilo of the University of Nigeria, gave the initial lectures and later became the foundation provost of the College of Health Sciences and the Chief Medical Director of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital. A large part of Physiology lectures were given by two senior lecturers from the department of Physiology, University of Nigeria, namely: Dr. S. Orimilikwe and Dr. J. Nwoga, Prof. S. Asogwa gave the first lecture in Community Medicine, and later became the next Dean of the Faculty.
The Faculty has continued to grow with the full accreditation of its pre-clinical and clinical programmes by both the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN). The first set of 12 students graduated in July 1995 with MB;BS degrees and as at October 2021, a total of 2339 medical doctors have graduated from the Faculty and University.
In 2008 the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences (BCS) made up of the pre-clinical departments of Anatomy, Human Biochemistry and Physiology located at the Okofia Campus of the College was created out of the Faculty of Medicine and in 2021 the Faculty of Basic clinical sciences comprising of Department of Pharmacology, Anatomic pathology and forensic medicine, Chemical pathology, Haematology, Medical microbiology and Immunology making it the 4th faculty in the College of Health Sciences. Presently the hospital and the clinical faculties are relocating to the permanent site at Akammili-Nnewi.
Students’ Intake
The annual student intake into the Pre-Medical courses is currently targeted at 100, and the Faculty will strive to maintain this level until hospital facilities can take an increase in number and our admission quota increased by the MDCN. The total student enrollment in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th years is in the range of 500 to 600.
Students’ Accomodation
Although the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), until only recently, has a non-residential policy, the College has provided adequate accommodation for medical students at Okofia Campus. All female medical students are housed in a hostel within the campus, two students being accommodated in a room. Similarly, the male students are housed in privately-owned hostels just outside the premises of the College. A new Central Bank of Nigeria hostel is under construction at the Okofia Campus and, upon completion will provide accommodation for all students of the College of Health Sciences including Medical Students.
Two Clinical Students Hostels are situated in the Teaching Hospital premises and provides accommodation for the fifth and final year medical students. Hostel complex is being erected at the permanent site of the Teaching Hospital. The rest of the clinical students are housed in privately owned hostels within the community and near the Hospital. Also, there is a student hostel at Neni for students on Community Medicine rural posting.
Water and Electricity Supply
The College enjoys constant water supply from a borehole with a giant overhead reservoir in the Okofia Campus. And the Teaching hospital boreholes with overhead tanks serve the departments in the hospital premises and the medical student hostel.
National electric power supply feeds the Okofia Campus and the College structures at the Teaching hospital premises with electricity and there is a stand-by generator which is put to use when there is power outage.
Lecture Rooms
The Faculty is provided with lecture rooms. There is the College auditorium at Okofia Campus with a sitting capacity for up to 1000 (one thousand) persons; there is also the pre-clinical classroom with a capacity for about 60 students at the Okofia Campus. Beside these, there are specific lecture rooms for each of the departments offering the pre-clinical courses.
At the Teaching hospital premises, there are three large lecture rooms each with a capacity for 120 students, and a modern auditorium (Uzodike Auditorium) with a sitting capacity for up to 500 persons. The departments, also, have seminar rooms in their clinic buildings or respective wards.
Basic Medical Sciences Laboratories
In the Faculty of Basic Medical Science, there are well equipped laboratories for Physiology, Biochemistry, Histology and Gross Anatomy. The New Physiology laboratory has several work benches, with a total capacity for, at least, 120 students. Similarly, the New Medical Biochemistry Laboratory has a capacity for, at least, 120 students.
The dissecting room in Anatomy currently has many dissection tables each for eight students and the Histology laboratory has a potential capacity for, at least 120 students. A preparation room is well-established for Histology.
Pathology and Pharmacology Teaching Laboratories
There are well established and furnished Pathological Sciences (Comprising; Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Chemical Pathology, Histopathology, Medical Microbiology and Immunology) and Pharmacology) laboratories. Both laboratories have a total capacity of 140 students.
Pathology/Pharmacology Offices
Offices are provided for Pathology and Pharmacology academic and non-academic staff within the Teaching Hospital Laboratory premises.
Transport Facilities
The Faculty has the following vehicles:
- A 33 seater Innoson Bus for the Medical Students
- A 32 seater Coaster bus for medical students
- One Toyota Corrola saloon car for the Dean’s Office.
- Other Coaster Buses are drawn from the College pool for the students on posting.
The library
A spacious library is located at the Okofia Campus of the College and a bigger Medical Library at the Teaching Hospital premises.
Library Collection
The collection development has been a co-operate programme between the Faculty and the Library professional staff aimed at building a standard and an in-depth collection to support teaching, research and self development.
The collection at the College Library is over 40,000 volumes with regular update as the need arises. Also more titles have been placed on order for our current journal subscriptions. Inter-library loan services are used to augment the library resources.
Medical Library
A medical library is now established and furnished with current medical text books, journals and other textbooks on allied medical specialties. The collections of the medical library stand at over 3000 volumes. More journal subscriptions are being received. It also has an e-library component which now has Medicine facility, Hinariooks and updated database materials for the Faculty students and staff.
AUDIO-VISUAL AIDS
The audio-visual aids include multimedia projectors, slide viewing boxes, public address systems and video facilities.