From Usman Abubakar Maiduguri
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has directed the immediate implementation of a 100 percent rural posting allowance for medical doctors and a 40 percent allowance for nurses working in hard-to-reach areas across the state.
The approval was contained in a memo to the Borno State Hospital Management Board which noted that the implementation is designed to attract and retain qualified medical personnel in rural communities in the state.
The new policy will double the financial remuneration for doctors who accept postings in rural communities, taking into consideration the challenging service conditions and the critical need for skilled medical staff outside the state capital.
Zulum has also approved the immediate recruitment of 473 medical personnel, including doctors, for hospitals across the state.
The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Borno State Hospital Management Board, Professor Abubakar Kullima, disclosed this on Thursday in Maiduguri.
The CMD said the approval was to enhance healthcare service delivery in the state with a view to ensuring that residents have improved access to quality medical care.
Providing a detailed breakdown of the recruits, Prof Kullima stated that the governor had approved employment of a total of 473 health professionals, including medical doctors, nurses, pharmacists, lab scientists, chews and other critical health workers, to some of the newly commissioned health centres.
According to the CMD, the recruitment also covers critical technical and support staff, including approval of primary eye care and perioperative care nurses and chews.
This recruitment is the latest in a series of the health sector interventions by the Zulum administration.
Governor Zulum had recently approved special training funds for resident doctors and commissioned new health facilities, including eye and dental hospitals, to expand access to the specialised health care.
The new employees will be deployed to general hospitals and primary health centres across Borno’s three senatorial zones. ENDS
