The Cross River government says it will soon employ 206 medical personnel as part of its efforts to strengthen the health sector.

The Commissioner for Health, Henry Ayuk, disclosed this in an interview with journalists on Sunday, expressing concern over the poor state of the sector inherited by the current administration.

Mr Ayuk said only 20 medical doctors were in the state’s employ when Governor Bassey Otu came into office.

The commissioner further said that aside from the employment of personnel, several primary health centres (PHCs) had been earmarked for rehabilitation.

He said the governor had granted approval for the recruitment of 31 doctors, 22 pharmacists and 153 nurses, while 196 PHCs would be revamped.

“When I took over as commissioner for health, I met a sorry health sector where even international donors and partners were leaving the state with only about 20 doctors in the state employ.

“It was on this basis that we had to work in line with the ‘People First’ mantra of the governor with the aim of improving the overall well-being of the citizens, hence the government’s priority for improved health sector.

“The ministry has recorded improvement and development in infrastructure, human resources, access to services, and health quality while clamping down on quacks,” Mr Ayuk said.

He said the approval for the employment of more medical personnel was meant to enhance productivity and efficient service delivery in public secondary health facilities in the state.

“Today, facilities that were moribund, especially in the rural areas, have returned to life with 196 primary health centres being mapped out for intervention, with effect from the end of the current quarter.

“The governor has also approved N470 million for the speedy completion of the general hospital at Ikom.

“The administration has also improved the funding of our institutions of nursing sciences and midwifery, which has facilitated their accreditation by the National Board for Technical Education and other relevant regulatory bodies,” Mr Ayuk said.

(NAN)