Govt recruits 1,245 healthcare workers to reduce mortality rate

The Kaduna State Government on Tuesday said it would recruit 1, 245 healthcare workers to address the challenges of maternal health.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Paul Dogo, disclosed this at a one-day stakeholders’ forum in Kaduna.

The forum is being organised quarterly by a coalition of Civil Society Organisations known as Kaduna State MNCH Accountability Mechanism (KADMAN) in collaboration with the Community Health and Research Initiative (CHR).

Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr Ibrahim Jere, the Commissioner said the government was taking several measures to tackle maternal mortality and morbidity in the state.

He said the council’s approval was secured for recruiting 1,245 professional health workers to shore up the deficit in human resource for health.

He said the personnel will be employed, trained and re‎trained for effective service delivery in the health sector.

“We are going to recruit ‎health personnel and most of them will be nurses for effective service delivery in the health sector.

“We made request in 2016 and it has been approved and we hope to recruit health personnel, whose funds had been reflected in the 2017 budget,’’ he said.

He said the renovation of 255 healthcare centres is on-going to improve health facilities to enhance service delivery across the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the state government is collaborating with general electric to deliver electricity to all the healthcare centres in the state.

“This year ended was eventful in meeting the set targets in reduction of mortality and morbidity in the state.

“It was also a year and a lot of changes were made by way of policy, management as well as operationalisation of policies.

“There was a deliberate effort to concentrate more on capital expenditure and the government believed would touched the citizenry directly than the traditional dominance of recurrent expenditure,’’ the commissioner said.

According to him, a new agency, Bureau of Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment, was established to reduce the high prevalence of substance abuse among youths in the state.

Dogo said other agencies, including the state Primary Healthcare Development Agency, and the Drug and Medical Supply Management, were equally strengthened by the Nasiru El-Rufai administration to boost the health sector.

NAN reports that Alhaji Mustapha Jumare, KADMAM Co- chairperson, said the event is being organised to review sectorial performance of the state government in the health sector with particular attention to maternal mortality and routine immunisation as well as HIV/AIDS control.

He lauded the state government on budgeting and policy implementation in accordance with the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards.

The programme attracted NGOs, CSOs, health officials and members of the media.