In a significant move to improve healthcare services, the Sokoto State Government has announced the recruitment of 845 nurses and midwives.
Gatekeepers News reports that the initiative aims to enhance access to quality healthcare across primary health centres throughout the State.
Dr. Bashir Achida, Economic Adviser to the Sokoto governor, revealed this information during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday. He emphasised the necessity of this recruitment to address the shortage of medical personnel in the state.
“At the moment, I don’t think that there is any state in this country that has employed 845 nurses and midwives in one year for its primary health care centres,” Dr. Achida stated, highlighting the unprecedented scale of this recruitment drive.
The state government’s decision is part of a broader strategy to tackle critical health challenges, including:
1. Reducing maternal and infant mortality rates
2. Addressing Vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) cases
In addition to the nursing staff recruitment, the state has plans to:
– Absorb medical doctors graduating from local institutions and other universities into state health facilities
– Employ medical interns to further reduce the doctor-patient ratio
– Renovate and operationalize seven primary healthcare facilities
– Construct 199 additional primary health care centres
– Build more healthcare facilities, including a specialized hospital for VVF treatment
Governor Ahmad Aliyu’s administration is committed to delivering on its campaign promises, with a focus on improving the state’s healthcare infrastructure. Dr. Achida noted that the governor, “as a man of integrity,” has already begun implementing these plans.
The state’s dedication to healthcare improvement is further demonstrated by its approach to local governance. The recent local government election was conducted smoothly, with the governor maintaining the existing statutory structure for election management established by the previous administration.
As Sokoto State continues to invest in its healthcare system, residents can expect to see significant improvements in access to and quality of medical services in the coming years.
