From next academic session, the University of Medical Science, (UNIMED) Ondo will commence the study of herbal medicine.

The university’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Friday Okonofua dropped the hint in Ondo during an exclusive interview.

Okonofua said the curriculum for the programme had been developed by the institution and submitted to the National University Commission (NUC) for approval.

If approved, he said it would afford the university to research into herbs and as well run undergraduate study in herbal medicine.

Okonofua said the NUC has indicated interest but would develop the guidelines for running the programmes which he said would be ready before the end of the this year.

He noted that 11 of the institution’s programmes have met the conditions of the NUC which he said had visited the university about three times before they were given accreditation.

The accredited courses are: Medicine and Surgery, Dentistry, Anatomy, Biochemistry, Physiology, Physiotherapy, Nursing, Mathematics, Physics, Biological Sciences and Chemistry.

His words: “Two more programmes; Nursing and Physiotherapy are due for visitation in November.

“Currently, we are preparing to receive the NUC visitation. The Medical Lab. Science is also due next year. The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria has visited our Medical and Dental programme. Every time they visited, they always give us accreditation,” he added.

The Vice Chancellor said that before any university could graduate doctors, the MDC has to visit such institution four times. He said that it was a major achievement and a milestone for the university to get Medical and Dental Programmes accredited within three years.

According to him, some universities established after eleven years still found it difficult to get accreditation for such programmes and that for UNIMED to get it in three years was a major achievement.

He added that the university’s Teaching Hospital has also applied for Post Graduate accreditation in Medicine, Surgery, Pediatric among other courses and expressed the optimism that they would get it.

Okonofua said the institution is set to break record on research on Lassa Fever and Public Health. ‘Research is advancing on high rate of trimming among the Yoruba,” he added.

The first set of the university students, he said would graduate in December this years.

The Vice Chancellor said UNIMED has gone in collaboration with New York State University and various others in the area of research.

He warned Nigerians eating fruits and vegetables grown with fertilizer, saying that is the reason for the high rate of cancer in the country today.