Guardian Nigeria
Sets Aside N260b For Revitalisation Of PHCs
The Federal Government has increased the enrolment quota in nursing, medical, and other health professionals training institutions from 28,000 to 64,000 yearly as part of efforts to address manpower shortage in the nation’s health sector due to Japa (emigration) syndrome.
Meanwhile, the administration has signed $932 million grant with GFATM, $200 million with a philanthropic foundation and is expecting additional $60 million in grants, $150 million announced by the Gavi Alliance, in addition to US$1 billion facility governed by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with Afreximbank to unlock the healthcare value chains.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, who disclosed this at the Ministerial Sectoral briefing to mark the first anniversary of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, stressed the need for state governments and the Federal Ministry of Education to improve the infrastructure in the various training schools in order to produce more health workforce that would serve the population of the country.
Pate noted that more than 2,400 health workers including nurses, doctors and midwives were being recruited in facilities to provide essential services to Nigerians.
He disclosed that the government has approved a managed migration policy for health and is looking at how best to address the excessive workload of medical providers, especially medical doctors.
He said that in the last seven months, more than 100 young medical graduates secured residency positions in the U.S. and the certificates of need were issued for them to be trained, returned home and effect policy change to include domestic as well as internationally trained medical graduates.
The minister also noted that the Federal Ministry of Health was working with Ministry of Labour as well as the Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission to address long-standing legacy issues of compensation and allowances.
