The OSMHS Working To Produce Eligible Health Professionals

The Orotta School of Medicine and Health Sciences (OSMHS) conferred diplomas to its 677 stu-dents at a graduation ceremony held last Saturday, on the 24th August.

Forty four of the medical students studied medicine while 16 studied dentistry. In addition, 13 graduates earned their second degree, 207 first degree and 397 were diploma graduates.

In his speech on the occasion the dean of OSMHS, Professor Yemane Seyoum, said what the graduates achieved is a pride for them, for their families, friends, and faculty and , over all, the people of the state of Eritrea He called on the graduates to shoul¬der their responsibilities with diligence and make efforts to serve their people. He reminded them that it is their duty to make commitment to their profes¬sion, be competent in their field of expertise, cooperate with the people they work with and care for patients and those who need their help. He stressed that it is their responsibility to fulfill their professional obligation to exceed their nation’s expectation. Finally he wished all the graduates all the best and success in their future career.

In a speech representing the graduating class, Doctor Beyene Abraha said after so much hard work they reached the end of an era, an epoch of acquiring all the ingredients necessary to be grant¬ed the humbling title. “But just as a young bird learns to fly and flies away from the family nest, this remarkable day also burdens us with this huge responsibility where we venture into the vast, worldly realm of medicine,” he said. He added, “We are sure ev¬ery one of us graduates today is more than ready to assume our responsibilities and fulfill our du¬ties to society.”

He finally said that the achieve¬ment would have been a mere dream without the support and hard work of the instructors, the academic and administrative staff at OSMHS ,staff members of Oro¬tta National Referral and Teach¬ing Hospital, the Eritrean people and government and friends and families.

In her key note address, Min¬ister of Health, Ms. Amina Nurhussien said that in the labor and technology –intensive health sector, the human resource is the most important asset, and for this reason the ministry is working hard to train qualified health pro¬fessionals.

Throughout our training pro¬grams, we are developing the most important resources for health, our human resources, and the academic environment cre¬ated by the teaching and learning process is concomitantly contrib¬uting to the improvement of the quality of our health care, she added.

She also said “On this day of your graduation, I would like to urge you to use the skills and knowledge you acquired to im¬prove the health and well being of our society. What you acquired during the training is not an end but only the beginning to a more advanced and deeper knowl¬edge. This is because scientific knowledge in general and health science in particular is a con¬tinuously advancing and highly dynamic field of study. You will continue to learn from experi¬ence, keep your selves up to date with the latest development, post graduate education, and partici¬pation in research and, equally important, through teaching oth¬ers. Furthermore, as you enter the noble profession of medicine and dentistry, I take this opportunity to remind you to be guided by the oath you will be taking upon your graduation which enjoins to put the welfare of the patient above all consideration to work with the spirit of honesty, hard work and dedication.”

The minister ended her speech by thanking the government of Cuba as well as all the instructors and other health professionals.

Mrs. Gebremedhin Tesfamar¬iam, one of the graduating stu¬dents, earned a second degree in clinical pharmacy. He said he was very happy to finish his education with distinction. The study in¬volved research assignments, dis¬cussions and presentations, and this, said Gebremedhin, allowed the students to develop their lan¬guage skills and exchange their ideas and experiences. He admit¬ted that at the beginning of the study he faced some challenges as he is a father of three children, but with great devotion and hard work he made it to the final. He thanked the government and his wife and family.

Another graduate, Doctor Se¬lam Fikadu from the school of medicine, said that medicine is a big field of study and requires so much focus and hard work. She added that as it takes eight years to graduate from the school of Medincine, many people see it as a challenge for women. But, she argued, women are brilliant and if they use their potential ef¬fectively and manage their time properly there is nothing that can prevent them from becoming what they want to be. Doctor Se-lam called on the society to sup¬port women in their effort to gain higher education. She also said that her mom, who earned her second degree when Selam was a teenager, is her role model. She said that she is planning to spe¬cialize in pediatrics.

Natsnet Zerezgi, who came from Hagaz, was another exem¬plary woman who was able to upgrade her former certificate status by earning a diploma in nursing. She said that so long as education has no limit she wants to continue her education. She expressed her deepest gratitude to the Ministry of Health and the government of Eritrea for provid¬ing her with such an opportunity, and she thanked her mom and all those who supported her.
The Orotta School of Medicine and Health Sciences (OSMHS) has been striving to produce qualified health professionals, including medical doctors, den¬tists, nurses, clinical laboratory technicians, pharmacists, public health professionals, optometry, radiology technicians and physio¬therapists. So far, a total of 4555 health professionals have gradu¬ated from the medical school.