Posted on: Thu 28-03-2024

Vice President Kashim Shettima, on Wednesday, said the Federal Government will explore private-sector partnerships to train health workers nationwide.

This comes months after President Bola Tinubu announced plans for a comprehensive revamp of physical infrastructure, equipment, and the re-training of frontline health workers starting in 2024.

Shettima said this when he received in audience at the Presidential Villa, the management of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital led by its Chief Medical Director, Prof Ahmed Ahidjo.

Shettima said the administration has identified enhanced healthcare delivery as a top priority.

More so, the administration will leverage President Bola Tinubu’s recent designation as the African Union Champion for Human Resources for Health and Community Health Delivery Partnership, said Shettima.

He said that the Federal Government will support the training of personnel in its teaching hospitals and other tertiary health institutions in the country to meet emerging challenges of healthcare delivery.

Special Adviser to the Vice President on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed, titled, ‘President Tinubu passionate about enhanced healthcare delivery – VP Shettima.’

The VP commended the current management of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital for its giant strides recorded in the past years, adding that the current administration is committed to supporting human capacity development in hospitals across the country.

“Training is very essential; we will explore all available windows to support UMTH and other teaching hospitals in the country in the training of their personnel.

“We will see how our partnership with the private sector can be helpful in this regard.

“I want to commend the CMD and his team for providing quality leadership to the hospital and all of their subordinates. There have been remarkable improvements witnessed at UMTH since his assumption of duty,” said the VP.

He particularly noted the expansion of the hospital from a 600-bed to a 1305-bed facility as “proactive and aggressive” by the CMD, whom he commended for sourcing for external funding.

“In terms of staff morale, capacity building, and the general outlook of the teaching hospital, the improvements have been massive,” the VP remarked.

In his earlier remarks, Prof. Ahidjo tagged Wednesday’s meeting as a thank-you visit to the vice president for his support to the institution, which spanned over 15 years, and to present the scorecard of the hospital as well as its plans.

The CMD said that with the support of the government and other stakeholders, the hospital has expanded from a 600-bed to a 1,305-bed facility equipped with state-of-the-art machines.

Besides building new centres for trauma, dialysis, cancer, and stroke treatment, among others, the hospital boasts over 100 professors in different areas of specialities, said Ahidjo.

However, he requested more support from the Vice President to enable the institution to actualize its objectives of being an international centre of excellence in healthcare delivery and training of personnel through the construction of an electronic health institute to facilitate its digitalization project.

Other members of the delegation include the Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee, Prof. Sanusi Ibrahim; the Director of Administration, Idris Omar; the Director of Clinical Services, Prof. Modu Kagu; the Director of Research and Ethics, Prof. Faruk Buba; the Director of Training, Dr Abubakar Mohammed, and the Director of UMTH Kidney Centre, Prof. Ibrahim Ummate.

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