Kano State Government has employed 2,037 additional health workers to address manpower shortages in hospitals and other health facilities across the state.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf disclosed this Wednesday during the official launch and presentation of appointment letters to the newly recruited health workers at the Government House, Kano.
He said the recruitment was necessitated by the shortage of health personnel, which had been worsened by the movement of doctors, nurses and other health professionals to other locations.
According to him, the newly recruited personnel include 250 medical doctors, 40 pharmacists, 250 nurses, 250 midwives, 150 senior community health extension workers, 50 junior community health extension workers and 50 epidemiologists, among other professionals.
The governor said the deployment of the new personnel would strengthen hospitals, primary healthcare centres and other health institutions, particularly facilities experiencing acute shortages of health workers.
Yusuf said healthcare remained one of the key responsibilities of government, adding that his administration had continued to commit resources towards improving healthcare delivery across the state.
He said several health facilities had been renovated and equipped, including Hajiya Bello Paediatric Hospital, the Maternal and Child Health Unit, Surgical and Medical Wards, as well as the Accident and Emergency Unit of Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital.
The governor added that 12 primary healthcare centres had been upgraded to secondary healthcare facilities, while several existing secondary health facilities across the local government areas had also been renovated.
Yusuf listed increased immunisation coverage, improved availability of essential medicines and the enrolment of more than 423,000 vulnerable persons into the state contributory healthcare scheme among the administration’s achievements in the sector.
He also cited the establishment of the Kano State Centre for Disease Control and the Sickle Cell Centre at Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital as part of measures taken to strengthen healthcare delivery.
Addressing the newly recruited workers, the governor described their appointment as a call to service and urged them to demonstrate compassion, discipline, integrity and professionalism.
He charged them to respect the dignity of patients and provide services to all residents irrespective of their social status, religion, ethnicity, political affiliation or economic circumstances.
Yusuf assured that his administration would continue to improve healthcare infrastructure, strengthen primary healthcare services and ensure the availability of essential medicines and medical equipment across the state.
He commended the Ministry of Health, State Hospital Management Board, Kano State Primary Healthcare Management Board and development partners for their contributions towards strengthening the state’s healthcare system.
