Unam produces first ever medical doctors

The graduation of the first locally trained doctors is a declaration to the world that Namibia is slowly but surely moving away from being dependent on other countries’ expertise, former president Hifikepunye Pohamba says.

‘It also shows that our country is committed to its national agenda of meeting development goals, including the one on universal access to health,’ the outgoing University of Namibia (Unam) chancellor said during the university’s graduation ceremony here on Friday.

He said this in reference to the graduation of Unam’s first medical doctors on the same day.

The 35 graduates, who hail from all 14 regions of the country, are among the first 57 candidates who enrolled for the programme in 2010, when the university’s School of Medicine first opened its doors.

Of the 35, 23 are women and 12, men.

Pohamba said in his remarks during the event that it is one of the country’s greatest milestones, adding that the country should be proud of its academic progress.

‘It was almost unthinkable that Namibia would have a state of the art School of Medicine or that today it would graduate 35 solidly educated and trained medical doctors that are ready to make a fundamental difference in the lives of our people,’ he added.

Pohamba announced that almost 500 students have enrolled at the School of Medicine this year.

‘These medical doctors have been trained under very trying conditions, in the context of where they will practice, and we believe they have been influenced by what they have seen around them,’ he said.

Also speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Health and Social Services Bernard Haufiku urged the doctors to treat their patients with respect, care and passion, saying it will help them gain the trust of patients.

‘If you make well informed, independent, clinical decisions, you are likely to save countless lives, and that is what the country is looking for,’ he advised.

The second batch of students who graduated from the Faculty of Health Sciences’ School of Pharmacy since it was established in 2011, also graduated.