ARD UCH Opens 57th AGM and Scientific Conference with Focus on Accountability in Clinical Practice

The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, commenced its 57th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Scientific Conference at the Canhent Hall, beside the Ajimobi Immunization Centre within the hospital premises.

The conference, themed “Accountability in Care: Legal and Ethical Responsibilities of the Modern Clinician,” brought together medical professionals to interrogate the growing demands of ethical practice and professional responsibility in contemporary healthcare delivery.

In his opening address, the ARD President, Dr. Gbenga Ajibola, expressed deep appreciation to the UCH Management for its consistent institutional support to the association. He emphasized that accountability in healthcare transcends theory, describing it as a binding covenant between clinicians, patients, and the society at large. According to him, ethical obligations such as compassion, confidentiality, fairness, and respect for patient autonomy remain the foundational pillars guiding the association’s values.

The Chief Medical Director of UCH, Prof. Jesse Abiodun Otegbayo, who previously served as the 28th President of ARD in 1995 and later as General Secretary of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) in 1996, commended the leadership and members of ARD for sustaining a long-standing tradition of excellence, scholarship, and professional development. He also praised the choice of the conference theme, noting that it promotes introspection and reinforces the collective commitment to safer and more accountable healthcare delivery.

Prof. Otegbayo described modern clinical practice as one that operates at the complex intersection of science, humanity, and rising societal expectations. He stressed that patients entrust clinicians not only with their health, but also with their vulnerabilities, fears, and lives, a responsibility that must be honoured with integrity and unwavering accountability.

He further assured the association of the hospital management’s continued support for the academic, professional, and ethical advancement of resident doctors within the institution.