In his bid to address the rising deficit of manpower in the health sector, Cross River state governor, Sen. Bassey Otu has approved for the employment of 31 medical doctors, 22 pharmacists and 153 nurses.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Henry Egbe Ayuk, who made the known to newsmen in his office in Calabar, on Wednesday, said the development was a practical demonstration of the Otu-led administration’s commitment to the health and well-being of Cross Riverians.
Ayuk acknowledged that the unprecedented influx of those seeking health services from State-owned public health facilities was as a result of the people’s confidence in the renewed vigour in healthcare service delivery by the present administration.
He said: ” Cross River, with a population of approximately 3.4 million people to grapple with a hitherto paltry number of 20 doctors and 938 nurses in the state’s secondary health facilities remained a worrisome situation.
“This is what Governor Otu was poised to address by approving the employment of more hands.
He noted that the injection of new blood into the health sector through the employment of 31 medical doctors, 22 pharmacists and 153 nurses, this will in no small measure bridges the human capacity gap in the Health Ministry and equips the sector with the necessary manpower to carry out clinical activities in public health facilities across the state.
SOURCE: VANGUARD NEWSPAPER