…Oceania University of Medicine set to take off also

Pacific Scoop:
Special Report – By Tupuola Terry Tavita, in Apia.

The new state-of-the-art national hospital and administration complex is set to lift Health services in the country to another level.

Upon completion, Health services in the country will be the benchmark for the region.

“The fact that it will be a first class hospital and also a teaching hospital is very important,” said Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi.

“The vision is, we will no longer have to send med students overseas but they will learn their profession right here.”

The multi-million Health and administrative facilities is being built in collaboration between the governments of Samoa and China. Construction is set to begin next month.

The fledgling Oceania University of Medicine, the Prime Minister said, is integral to the hospital plans.

“The new hospital will also be the campus for OUM. Every recognized medical school needs to be attached to a modern hospital. The new hospital will provide med students the exposure and the hands-on experience necessary for the practical component of their academic degrees.

“At the same time will lift the profile of OUM as an institution of medical excellence, attracting international students and those from around the region to learn their trade here.”

According to Health Minister Gatoloaifa’ana Amataga Alesana Gidlow, many potential doctors fall by the wayside each year because they do not meet “extremely high” qualifications requirements to pursue medicine at universities overseas.

“This is coupled with fast-declining scholarship placement opportunities at these universities….there is now only one scholarship to New Zealand each year and very few to Fiji (Fiji School of Medicine),” she said.

“Health as you all know has been consistently hampered by an acute shortage of doctors at our hospitals.

“OUM and the new training hospital will provide the necessary opportunity for these students to pursue their medical dreams and careers.”

There has also been some concerns in government of the political instability in Fiji, she said.

“In 2000, we had to bring our students home because of the political coup there. Students work was put back two or three years.”

Government for some years now, has had an agreement with New Zealand health authorities, through Papalii Dr CS Benjamin, where New Zealand specialists carry out, mainly surgery, clinics in Samoa.

“OUM students as well as our local doctors can learn off these regular clinics from these specialized physicians.”

Somewhere down the line, Gatoaifaana said, government will look at building a “proper campus for OUM”.

“Especially to cater to the needs of international students. Definitely there will be a need to build a home for the university, complete with halls of residences for staff and students as well as providing a secure environment conducive to the study of medicine.’

The Minister’s vision is shared by OUM Vice Chancellor Professor Surindar Cheema.

“We envision a university that is fully functional providing specialized training across the board.”

Not only medical doctors, he said, but also fields such as dentistry, nursing all disciplines of specialized surgery, radiography and other medical and technical fields.”

OUM

Started in 2002 with an initial intake of 23 international students, OUM now has a total of 110 in its student roll including eight Samoan medical aspirants. The rest are from the U.S and Australia.

“The goal is to develop into a full-fledged medical school.”

OUM currently offers a four-year MBBS/MD degree for graduates and the recently-launched five-year MBBS degree for undergraduates.

“We anticipate an intake of up to 40-50 students each year.”

Tucked away at a corner of the Tupua Tamasese Meaole Memorial Hospital Motootua, Professor Cheema believes eventually the OUM will need to have its own university campus.

We’re approaching a point where we’re bursting at the seams so it’s good to have this new teaching hospital to move into.

“Every space in this building we have right now is currently being fully-utilized.”

A fully-functional medical university, he said, has to have at least 200 to 250 students in its roll.

“That’s our aim.”

OUM currently has ‘candidate’ status with the Philippines Accrediting Association for Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU) – which is recognized as an international accrediting body which evaluates institutions in the manner in which US schools are reviewed. When OUM achieves its accreditation by PAASCU, hopeful by October this year Professor Cheema said, the university will be considered comparable to those accredited in the US.

The benefit of being accredited, said OUM Deputy Dean Dr Monalisa Punivalu said, is that international students can then apply for student loans to pursue their degrees at the university.

“International students are a major part of the university.”

And med courses offered at OUM are not necessarily for those with a medical background.

“Anyone with a graduate degree in other fields is more than welcome to have a look at what we have to offer.”

CAMPUS

A campus, complete with accommodation for students and staff, is supported by National Health Services chief executive Dr Stanley Dean.

“Every year, we spend $8 million to send patients overseas,” he said.

“Now we have an opportunity to provide our medical students with the specialized medical training they need. When we do have that expertise as well as the diagnostic facilities required in a modern hospital, the money will stay here to improve health services in the country.”

On NHS relationship with OUM, Dr Dean said;

“The (Tupua Tamasese Memorial Hospital) will be a teaching hospital with OUM intricately woven into its operation.”

Staff of the Hospital, he said, will also be lecturers at the University, and clinical heads as professors.

“TTMH will also cater for extensive student research…and we anticipate the new teaching hospital will provide specialist services to treat 80 percent of our patients in the district hospitals.”

A lot of thought and planning, Dr Dean said, went into the new hospital.

“The initial idea we had for this new hospital is to build it somewhere where up to about 20 acres of land is available. Because we also wanted to incorporate into the plans a campus for OUM.

“We were looking at somewhere up at Vailima next to Medcen (private hospital) as there is plenty of government land up there.”

However, it was decided the location should remain at Motootua.

“And the university campus does not necessarily have to be within the hospital perimeters. The (OUM) campus could be anywhere at Vaitele or Vailima as there is ease of access to Motootua.”

Construction of the Ministry of Health complex is expected to start next month, opposite its current location at Motootua- adjacent to Centipede Alley.

“The ministry will move into its new building when completed and the first phase of the new hospital will begin there.”

Ironically, he said, the current administration building that will be pulled down next month was the first hospital in the country.

“That building – which dates back to the German era – is over a hundred years old and it’s only natural that the hospital returns there.”

The first phase, Dr Dean said, will include an expanded emergency services unit, patient wards and operating theaters, etc. It will have expansive gardens, elevators and ramps, a landmark clock tower and arches reminiscent of the current hospital.

The main structure will be three-storeyed.

“The initials plan was four and was suggested, seven storeys, but we had to factor in earthquakes, evacuation and ease of patients.”

The second phase cover will extend from the current dentistry unit up to the pediatric ward and will house the outpatient, departmental units and training and lecture theatres.”

The current hospital was built by the New Zealand government and opened in 1975.

“Eventually this whole hospital will be demolished and replaced by the new hospital.”

MOH

The new facilities, Ministry of Health chief executive Palantina Tupuimatagi Toelupe said, is in line with government health reforms.

While NHS covers the clinical part of general Health services in the country, the Ministry is the regulatory, monitoring and policy authority.

“The new hospital complex will bring all Health services essentially under one roof.”

Healthy living and prevention from illnesses has become a major component of Health services in the country, said Ms Toelupe,

“This is in terms of community-based public health awareness programmes being carried by the Ministry,” she said.

“We want to keep people healthy and not come to the hospital when they’re at an advanced stage of illness. Avoid complications by maintaining good health that at the end emburdens families in terms of medical bills and ultimately, the state and Health Services.

“The message is always the same, prevention is always better than cure.”

The new hospital and teaching facility will interweave both clinical and illness preventive services.”

The Chinese government has committed an initial $75 million concessionary loan to the project, inked in Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi and Chinese Ambassador to Samoa, His Excellency Ma Chongren in early January.

According to Minister Gatoloaifa’ana, Samoa’s submission was ‘quickly’ approved by the Chinese government under its annual assistance to the region programme “not only because it was one of its kind but that health and education is a priority area for Chinese Government overseas aid.”

Tupuola Terry Tavita is editor of the Samoan government newspaper Savali.