By Francis Sardauna
The Katsina State Government has announced the recruitment of 993 medical doctors and auxiliary health workers in the state to tackle the perennial shortage of manpower across its primary healthcare centres and general hospitals.
The state Commissioner for Health, Mr. Nuhu Yakubu Danja, revealed this at a one-day media roundtable organised by the state taskforce on COVID-19 in collaboration with Lafiya programme.
Danja said 30 medical doctors were sponsored by the state government on different specialisation programmes within and outside the country to enhance efficiency and effective healthcare delivery system in the state.
According to him, “The state government has also recruited 13 nursing tutors, 15 midwife educators and one lecturer, while full sponsorship was granted for nurses, 18 post-graduate diploma in nursing education, four degree in nursing, 11 master’s degrees in nursing and three doctorate.”
Additionally, he said 200 health workers have been granted approval to undertake full time and part-time studies in Nigeria and abroad to build their capacity.
He explained further that the government has adopted the Primary Healthcare Under One Roof law and converted all its local government health workers to the Primary Healthcare Development Agency
(PHDA).
Danji added that the state government also rehabilitated and upgraded eight general hospitals in Dutsin-ma, Katsina, Daura, Funtua, Malumfashi, Kankia, Musawa and Baure Local Government Areas of the state.
The commissioner, however, lamented that the state Governor, Aminu Bello Masari-led administration has inherited poor healthcare system and was making steady efforts to revamp the system.
