Kogi Government has begun training of no fewer than 1,282 Frontline Health Workers (FLHW) to address the critical gaps in service delivery and improve health outcomes across the state.

Gov. Ahmed Ododo, who spoke at the training on Tuesday in Lokoja, said it was designed enhance service delivery and improve health outcomes across the state.

The training is organised by Kogi State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KSPHCDA) in collaboration with State Ministry of Health, the Federal Government and the development partners.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event also included the presentation of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the frontline health workers.

Ododo said that his administration was committed to providing citizens with access to quality healthcare services, and recognised that the healthcare workforce plays a critical role in achieving that goal.

The governor, represented by his Deputy, Joel Salifu, disclosed that government plans to recruit additional nurses and midwives to strengthen the state’s healthcare workforce.

Ododo pointed out that the recruitment of more healthcare professionals was part of his administration’s efforts to revitalise the healthcare system and improve quality services delivery to the people of Kogi.

In his remarks, Dr Muyi Aina, the Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), commended the Kogi Government for its commitment to strengthening the primary healthcare system in the state.

Aina, represented by the Director, System Development, NPHCDA, Dr Ngozi Nwosu, praised the governor’s efforts to revitalise Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs), and enhancing the skills of healthcare workers.

Aina said that the training would equip the health workers with the necessary skills and knowledge to provide integrated and quality health services.

He said the Federal Ministry of Health through the agency launched the comprehensive programme to train 120,000 frontline health workers across the country.

“So far, we have trained 56,060 frontline health workers in 34 state across the country. Kogi government plans to train a total of 1,282 frontline health workers in the state,” Aina said.

On his part, Dr Adeiza Abdulazeez, the state’s Commissioner for Health, said the training was a crucial step towards achieving the state government’s goal of providing quality healthcare services to citizens.

Abdulazeez noted that the state government had made significant progress in improving healthcare services, particularly in the area of vaccination, with 80 per cent reduction in unvaccinated individuals.

The commissioner stressed the importance of building a strong and efficient primary healthcare system, which he said, was critical to achieving universal health coverage.

Also speaking, Dr Musa Mu’azu, Executive Director of KSPHCDA, described PHCs system as the bedrock of healthcare infrastructure, and frontline health workers at local level as “frontline soldiers”, who provide essential health services in communities.

Mu’azu noted that the primary healthcare system faces numerous challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, inadequate skilled personnel, and limited resources.

He, however, commended the governor for his commitment to strengthening the healthcare system, particularly at PHC level, and assured that the training would address the unique challenges faced by healthcare workers.

Mu’azu urged the participants to take advantage of the training, asking questions and sharing their experiences to enhance their knowledge and skills.

In their separate remarks, Dr Gwomson Dauda from World Health Organisation (WHO), and Amb. AK Hudu from United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) traditional ruler, the Olu of Apata, Oba Fredrick Balogun, and religious leaders, jointly pledged their support for the government’s initiative to strengthen the workforce and improve healthcare services in Kogi.

The highlight of the occasion was the official inauguration of the training and the presentation of personal protective equipment (PPE) to the participants by the governor.