The trio of Dr Lere Oluwadare of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan; Dr Josephine Onumaku of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Rivers State; and Dr Maryam Abdullahi of Amina Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano State, have emerged the Grand Prize Winner, First Runner Up, and Second Runner Up of the keenly contested Shalina Rising Star Awards Contest, winning a cash prizes of one million naira, five hundred thousand naira and three hundred thousand naira respectively.
Speaking at the third edition of the awards, which is a major platform for medical professionals to showcase their clinical talents, held in Lagos recently at the NECA House, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Dr Oluwadare appreciated Shalina for coming up with the programme, adding that the concept is highly encouraging and a morale booster.
In his speech at the event, the Head of Corporate Marketing, Shalina Healthcare Limited, Folorunso Alaran said, “Shalina Rising Stars Award, which is a major platform for medical professionals to showcase their clinical talents has come a long way to promote intellectual development in the medical profession.”
According to him; “The company has gone from mere selling of its products to creating platforms for learning and capacity building in the industry. The pan-Nigeria event for resident doctors and young fellows is one of its kind in the country.”
Expatiating on the process of the contest, Alaran said: “the initial stage of season 3 which kicked off at the Federal Medical Centre, Bida, Niger State on 6 December, 2023 took the organising team to 16 Nigerian medical institutions across the six geopolitical zones and ended on 7 March, 2024, at the National Orthopedic Hospital Igbobi, Lagos, where a total number of 175 dissertations were presented at the end of the qualifiers.
“One winner emerged from each institution qualifier respectively. The winners are here today for the Grand Finale.”
Earlier in her opening remarks, the Managing Director of Shalina Healthcare, Nigeria, Mrs Opeyemi Akinyele, congratulated the participants for making it to the final stage saying; ”being the overall winners in your respective institutions is a great achievement and we wish you continue to do what makes you stand out and brings you to this stage.”
In the same vein, Arun Raj, chief commercial officer of Shalina Healthcare West Africa, commended all the participants thus: “You are here because you are the best in the country.”
The event which had the trio of Prof. Adamu Samalia of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano; Dr Afiong Oku of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar; and Prof. Stephen Ikuerowo of Lagos State University College of Medicine as members of the panel of assessors also had a good number of distinguished personalities in the medical profession in attendance.
The personalities include Dr Adegbenga Ademolu, the representative of the chief medical director of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Prof Adetokunbo B. Fabanwo and Dr Samuel Adebayo, the national secretary, National Guild of Medical Directors, Nigeria, among many others.
