The Ekiti State Government has recruited 250 health workers and is currently renovating 103 primary healthcare centres (PHCs) across the state, as part of ongoing efforts to improve access to basic healthcare services.
Commissioner for Health, Dr Oyebanji Filani, disclosed this during a two-day community mobilisation and stakeholder engagement held in Ikere and Otun Ekiti, covering residents of Ikere, Ekiti Southwest, Moba, and Ilejemeje local government areas.
According to Filani, the new personnel include nurses, midwives, and community health officers who are being deployed to PHCs to enhance service delivery. He said the facilities under renovation would be equipped with modern equipment and upgraded infrastructure, including water supply, electricity, and perimeter fencing.
Filani also explained that the state government is offering free maternal healthcare, child services, laboratory tests, and malaria treatment across all 177 PHCs through the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund and the Ulerawa programme.
“We want to ensure that when people go to our facilities, they meet qualified and competent professionals who can attend to them,” Filani said. “We’ve just employed 250 nurses, midwives, and community health officers to make this possible.”
He added that the government had begun a phased recruitment of doctors. “We recently advertised for 100 doctors. Eight have been employed already, and it’s a continuous process. NYSC doctors are also being posted to various facilities,” he said.
The General Manager of the Ekiti State Health Insurance Scheme, Dr Charles Doherty, said that malaria treatment, immunisation, and other essential health services at PHCs remain free of charge.
Dr Busayo Ige, the State Health Educator, urged residents to prioritise the use of government health facilities, particularly for maternal and child healthcare. She also encouraged caregivers to ensure children receive all necessary vaccines to protect against preventable diseases.
Local government chairmen Olu Adamolekun (Ikere) and Bamidele Fadugba (Moba) commended the state government for its intervention in the health sector, noting increased utilisation of facilities and improved health outcomes.
They also welcomed the state’s strategy of engaging communities in planning and implementing health sector programmes.
