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The Borno state government Tuesday said it has employed nearly 2,000 health workers in the past two years to address manpower shortages and improve healthcare delivery across the state.
The Executive Secretary, Borno State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (BOSCHMA), Saleh Kaza, stated this in an interview with journalists in Maiduguri.
Kaza said the recruitment of doctors, nurses and other health professionals had helped to reduce staffing gaps in the state’s healthcare system.
“Although more personnel were still required to meet the growing population’s needs,” he said
He added that the agency’s contributory healthcare scheme had increased demand for healthcare services, particularly under the formal sector programme for state civil servants.
He stated that the agency is working towards strengthening healthcare facilities to ensure enrollees have access to affordable and quality medical services.
Kaza said the state government was also investing in the training of additional health professionals through medical and nursing institutions to provide a sustainable solution to the manpower challenge.
He identified Kashim Ibrahim University and other health training institutions as important sources of future medical personnel.
Kaza expressed optimism that their graduates would further strengthen the workforce within the next two to three years.
He added that two additional colleges of nursing were expected to commence student admissions, while existing institutions were expanding their intake to increase the number of qualified professionals available to the health sector.
The executive secretary, however, said manpower shortages remained a concern, considering the growing number of people requiring healthcare services, including beneficiaries of the state’s vulnerable groups programme.
He added that there is the need for continued collaboration among the government, healthcare providers and relevant agencies to address staffing and service delivery challenges.
(NAN)
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