Gloria Robert, Abuja
The Federal Government has recruited more than 20,000 doctors, nurses, pharmacists and laboratory scientists into federal health institutions across the country within the past two years, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, has said.
Pate made this known on Thursday in Abuja during a dialogue with media executives, saying the recruitment was approved by President Bola Tinubu as part of ongoing efforts to rebuild the nation’s health system and improve access to quality healthcare.
He said the new personnel had been deployed to teaching hospitals, federal medical centres and other tertiary health facilities to address manpower shortages and enhance patient care.
“More than 20,000 doctors, nurses, pharmacists and lab scientists have been employed in the last two years, following Mr. President’s approval for federal hospitals,” he said.
The minister explained that, beyond recruitment, the Federal Government was investing heavily in hospital infrastructure, revitalising cancer and teaching hospitals and strengthening primary healthcare delivery across the country.
According to him, some of the reforms are already yielding positive outcomes, with some states recording up to a 12 per cent reduction in maternal mortality due to improved services at the grassroots.
He said government remained committed to expanding health insurance coverage, strengthening disease surveillance and ensuring transparency in the management of health resources.
“Growing the national revenue base means we can invest more in health, education and other social services. These are not easy decisions, but they are necessary to build a system that works for everyone,” he added.
Also speaking, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State said collaboration between federal and state governments was key to improving primary healthcare delivery, especially for vulnerable populations.
“Primary healthcare is where the battle for equitable access to quality health services is most intensely fought,” Sani said, adding that his administration was working to ensure that no citizen was denied healthcare due to geography or financial constraints.
The Nigerian health sector has faced challenges of overworked personnel and the migration of medical professionals abroad. The government hopes that the recent recruitment drive will help strengthen service delivery and reduce the burden on existing staff.