1 month ago
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The member representing the Ibiono Ibom State constituency in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Moses Essien, has urged the state government to recruit more health workers to address the manpower needs of secondary health facilities in the state.
Essien made the call on Tuesday during an on-the-spot assessment of some general hospitals in the state.
The hospitals visited included the General Hospital in Onna; Immanuel Hospital in Eket; and the General Hospital, Iquita in Oron.
Essien, who is the House Committee chairman on health, lamented that most secondary health facilities in the state are in dire need of more competent personnel to deliver effective healthcare services to the people, adding that the need for additional staff is pressing, especially as budgetary provisions are made for it in the 2024 budget.
“I want to use this opportunity to call on the state government to recruit more health workers, as the secondary healthcare facilities in the state are in dire need of more hands to deliver effective healthcare services to the people, as budgetary provisions have been made for this in the approved 2024 budget,” Essien said.
He called on doctors and nurses in the secondary facilities in the state to reside within their quarters to render 24-hour services for effective service delivery, as the government has made provisions for staff quarters.
Regarding the issue of inadequate subventions raised by the staff, Essien called on the State Ministry of Health to consider increasing the subventions to hospitals, noting that hospitals generate sufficient revenue for government coffers and ought to be adequately funded.
He charged the Chief Medical Superintendent in each of the hospitals to “ensure that the health facilities under their care do not deteriorate,” adding that “to whom much is given, much is expected.”
He also urged them to implement measures to ensure that necessary repairs are completed promptly to avoid unnecessary deterioration of the facilities.
In their separate responses, the Chief Medical Superintendents of General Hospital, Akwa, Onna Local Government Area, Francis Inyang; Immanuel Hospital, Eket, Itaketo Ndaeyo; and General Hospital, Iquita, Oron, Sabastine Noah, expressed that the medical needs of the people are of utmost importance to them and that they are doing their best to deliver quality healthcare services.
They thanked the state government for prioritising investments in the health sector by purchasing needed equipment and other health facilities worth millions of naira to cater to the health needs of the people.
However, they complained of inadequate subventions and a shortage of health workers, which, according to them, slows down the smooth operation of the hospitals. They added that if these needs are addressed, the secondary healthcare facilities will experience a boost in the quality of health services delivered to the people.
