By Mohammad Tijjani
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, has urged medical personnel to combine professional competence with love, compassion and commitment in the discharge of their duties.
Aneke gave the charge at the graduation ceremony of Basic Medical Course 4/2026 of the Nigerian Air Force School of Medical Sciences and Aviation Medicine, on Friday in Kaduna.
Represented by AVM Adeniran Ademuwagun, Commandant, Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), Aneke said healthcare went beyond professional training, stressing that medical personnel were primarily involved in preserving lives through service, care and compassion.
According to him, caregivers are often the first and, in some circumstances, the last point of contact for patients, making their roles critical to the healthcare system.
The CAS recalled the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in Nigeria, noting that while doctors received recognition for their roles, several nurses and other caregivers also lost their lives while caring for patients.
He said the growing convergence of roles among doctors, nurses, caregivers and other medical professionals made continuous training and competence essential, adding that first responders could sometimes make the difference between life and death.
Aneke said caregiving remained one profession that could not easily be replaced by technology or artificial intelligence because human beings would always need other people to nurture and care for them.
“Beyond your professional training, I have always spoken about the importance of empathy. It is not enough to provide the right medical response; you must also care for the person you are attending to,” he said.
The CAS urged the graduates to continue improving themselves professionally, physically and mentally, while encouraging them to build their careers in Nigeria, saying opportunities existed despite the challenges facing the country.
He also advised them never to give up in the face of difficulties, reminding them that compassion, commitment and love for the profession were as important as academic and professional knowledge.
Earlier, the Commandant of the Nigerian Air Force School of Medical Sciences and Aviation Medicine, AVM Anthony Ekpe, said the Basic Medical Course graduation was the 14th edition and marked an important transition in the careers of the graduates.
Ekpe said the graduates were exposed to basic medical knowledge, skills and principles, as well as basic life support, to enable them respond appropriately to emergencies while awaiting further medical care.
He urged the graduates to uphold compassion, integrity, humility, competence and continuous learning, stressing that medical personnel must treat every patient with dignity regardless of rank or status.
“Medicine devoid of compassion can become cold, while compassion without competence can become very dangerous. You need both,” Ekpe said.
He commended the instructors and staff for their commitment to producing disciplined and skilled medical personnel capable of contributing effectively to the Nigerian Air Force healthcare system.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Yakubu Uba