.Urge medical professionals to embrace technology

 .As PAMO University inducts 28 health professionals

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt 

A professor of Radiography and Radiological Sciences at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Prof. Mark Okeji, has noted that Artificial intelligence (AI) is set to revolutionise healthcare delivery by accelerating diagnosis, improving patient monitoring and supporting clinical decisions.

Prof. Okeji however, urged medical professionals to embrace emerging technologies to remain relevant in a rapidly changing health sector.

Okeji, made the assertion as the induction lecturer at the joint induction and oath-taking ceremony for graduates of the Departments of Medical Laboratory Science, Nursing Science, and Radiography and Radiation Science at PAMO University of Medical Sciences, Iriebe, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, yesterday.

He said AI would enhance the efficiency and accuracy of healthcare services rather than simply replace human professionals.

Okeji, warned that practitioners who failed to acquire the skills required to work with the technology risked being left behind.

“AI has not come to replace you. It has come to help you. It makes the job simpler and makes our patients feel better. So, don’t be afraid of it. But if you’re not there to understand AI, AI will take over from you,” he said.

Okeji explained that AI-powered diagnostic systems could analyse medical samples, interpret images and process large volumes of patient information within seconds, significantly reducing the time required for investigations and improving the speed of clinical decisions.

According to him, AI is already being deployed in medical diagnostics, telemedicine, hospital administration, clinical decision-making and remote patient monitoring.

He said wearable devices, including smart watches, could help monitor vital health indicators such as heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen levels and sleep patterns, providing clinicians with information that could support early intervention.

The professor also highlighted AI’s potential to strengthen public health surveillance by analysing disease patterns, predicting outbreaks and helping authorities deploy medical personnel and resources to areas with urgent healthcare needs.

He identified data fragmentation, privacy concerns, algorithmic bias and inadequate trust among some healthcare professionals as challenges requiring urgent attention.

While advocating stronger ethical safeguards and regulation, Okeji urged medical practitioners and healthcare institutions to develop the competence needed to harness AI responsibly.

“AI is transforming healthcare today. Tomorrow, it will redefine it. The future is intelligent, connected and very human-centred,” he said.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Smith Jaja, said the 28 inductees had undergone rigorous academic and clinical training, expressing confidence in their preparedness to serve the healthcare sector.

“We are proud to inform everyone that these graduates have gone through the best training anybody in their respective professions can receive,” Jaja said.

He charged the graduates to uphold professional ethics and honour the oaths they had taken, describing the occasion as a significant milestone for the university, the graduates and their families.

Representing the Pro-Chancellor, Dr. Peter Odili, former Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Adaeze Oreh, congratulated the inductees and emphasised the importance of collaboration among nurses, medical laboratory scientists and radiographers in delivering safe, effective and patient-centred care.

She described medical laboratory scientists as the “detectives of medicine,” nurses as the “heart and backbone of patient care,” and radiographers as the “eyes of medicine,” stressing that each profession played a critical role in improving patient outcomes.

Oreh also announced that the university’s governing board had approved automatic employment after internship for the best graduating students from the three departments.

She urged the inductees to take their internship seriously, noting that the period was essential to their transition into fully credentialed and licensed professionals.

The Acting Dean of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Dr. Clement Nyenke, said the induction represented more than the completion of academic programmes, describing it as the beginning of a lifelong commitment to patients, professional colleagues and society.

He urged the graduates to demonstrate sound judgement, accuracy and respect for human life in their practice.