Kogi State Government has begun training no fewer than 1,282 frontline health workers (FLHW) to address the critical gaps in service delivery and improve health outcomes across the state.

State governor, Ahmed Ododo, who spoke at the training on Tuesday in Lokoja, said it was designed to enhance service delivery and improve health outcomes across the state.

The training is organised by Kogi State Primary Health Care Development Agency in collaboration with the State Ministry of Health, the federal government, and the development partners.

The event also included the presentation of personal protective equipment to the frontline health workers.

Mr Ododo said that his administration was committed to providing citizens with access to quality healthcare services and recognised that the healthcare workforce plays a critical role in achieving that goal.

The governor, represented by his deputy, Joel Salifu, disclosed that the government plans to recruit additional nurses and midwives to strengthen the state’s healthcare workforce.

Mr Ododo pointed out that the recruitment of more healthcare professionals was part of his administration’s efforts to revitalise the healthcare system and improve quality service delivery to the people of Kogi.

In his remarks, the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Muyi Aina, commended the Kogi State government for its commitment to strengthening the primary healthcare system in the state.

Mr Aina, represented by the Director of System Development, NPHCDA, Ngozi Nwosu, praised the governor’s efforts to revitalise primary healthcare centres and enhance the skills of healthcare workers.

Mr Aina said that the training would equip the health workers with the necessary skills and knowledge to provide integrated and quality health services.

He said the Federal Ministry of Health, through the agency, launched the comprehensive programme to train 120,000 frontline health workers across the country.

Mr Aina said, “So far, we have trained 56,060 frontline health workers in 34 states across the country. The Kogi State government plans to train a total of 1,282 frontline health workers in the state.’’

On his part, the state’s Commissioner for Health, Adeiza Abdulazeez, said the training was a crucial step towards achieving the state government’s goal of providing quality healthcare services to citizens.

Mr Abdulazeez noted that the state government had made significant progress in improving healthcare services, particularly in the area of vaccination, with an 80 per cent reduction in unvaccinated individuals.

The commissioner stressed the importance of building a strong and efficient primary healthcare system, which he said was critical to achieving universal health coverage.

Also speaking, Executive Director of KSPHCDA, Musa Mu’azu, described the PHC system as the bedrock of healthcare infrastructure and frontline health workers at the local level as “frontline soldiers,” who provide essential health services in communities.

Mr Mu’azu noted that the primary healthcare system faces numerous challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, inadequate skilled personnel, and limited resources.

He, however, commended the governor for his commitment to strengthening the healthcare system, particularly at the PHC level, and assured that the training would address the unique challenges faced by healthcare workers.

Mr Mu’azu urged the participants to take advantage of the training, asking questions and sharing their experiences to enhance their knowledge and skills.

In their separate remarks, Gwomson Dauda from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and A.K. Hudu from the United Nations Children Fund, traditional rulers, the Olu of Apata, Oba Fredrick Balogun, and religious leaders jointly pledged their support for the government’s initiative to strengthen the workforce and improve healthcare services in Kogi State.

The highlight of the occasion was the official inauguration of the training and the presentation of personal protective equipment to the participants by the governor. 

(NAN)