On Thursday, April 28, 2022, the much-anticipated inaugural lecture of Professor Stephen Tabiri, Dean of the School of Medicine, of the University for Development Studies, took place at the Multipurpose auditorium at the Tamale Campus.

After the initial ceremonies, led by the Chairman for the occasion, the Vice Chancellor of the UDS, Professor Gabriel Ayum Teye, the Professor of Surgery got down to business – proving to the rest of the world, why and how he had attained the enviable academic title of “Professor”. The lecture was titled, “Inguinal Hernia Management: Developing and Implementing Local Solutions”. The Professor, who doubles as a surgeon at the Tamale Teaching Hospital, first gave an overview of the history of Inguinal Hernia Surgery.

Regarding the status quo in the field, he enumerated, among other topics, the advantages and disadvantages of the different surgical options currently in use. He also showed some videos of surgeries, which he commented on in detail, and gave the attending audience, especially, the medical students present, valuable tips on how to deal with patients affected by Inguinal Hernia.

Professor Tabiri explained that an inguinal hernia occurs when abdominal cavity contents find their way into the inguinal canal. He said are the most common type of hernia and account for around majority of all anterior abdominal wall hernias, with a prevalence in men. He however, showed evidence through pictures and videos of surgeries he had performed that hernia does develop in females too.

When the lecture ended, members of the University fraternity, led by the Vice Chancellor, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, the Registrar, Deans and Directors, family, friends, colleagues, traditional rulers, the Former CEO of the Tamale Teaching Hospital and students of Professor Stephen Tabiri mounted the stage and took turns to congratulate him.

He was presented with a citation by the School of Medicine, an undisclosed amount of money by the representative of the family head, a Kente cloth by traditional rulers and a plaque by Professor Adesoji Ademuyiwa, a professor of Paediatric Surgery and Director of NIHR Nigeria hub, University of Lagos.

The event was rounded off at the UDS Guest House, Tamale, where students and other guests had the opportunity to exchange ideas Professor Tabiri in person over drinks and snacks.