The Federal Capital Territory Administration said on Friday in Abuja that it will recruit 900 health workers for its hospitals.

Permanent Secretary, Health and Environment Services Secretariat, Dr Babagana Adams, said this at a dinner and award night organised by the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives. 

The dinner and award night was organised to wrap-up the 2024 FCT nurses week which started with Jumaat prayer on September 20.

Mr Adams said that the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, had approved the recruitment of the health workers.

He said that the minister had also approved the engagement of 342 other health professionals, adding that the process would commence soon.

Mr Adams also pledged to raise a proposal to support the demand for health professionals’ villages before the end of the current administration.

He said there would also be a proposal for nurses’ mobility to ease their movement to work.

He said discussion had begun with WEMA and Zenith banks to partner and support the demand of nurses.

He said that the proposal would spell out modes of payment in a seamless manner.

Chairman of the council, Jema Medan, advocated expansion of hospitals in the FCT, saying that most districts in the city were without hospitals.

According to him, the growing population in the FCT has outweighed the number of hospitals, hence the need for expansion and more procurement of equipment.

He encouraged nurses not to migrate abroad or change profession though they were faced with heavy workload.

Mr Medan commended Mr Wike for turning things around in the FCT, saying that the nurses believed that with time their efforts would be well rewarded.

“The minister has started on a good note by first approving the 25 per cent wage increment and other arrears for the nurses,” he said.

The best nurse in the FCT award was presented to Rosemary Okoroafor from Karshi General Hospital by Dr Esther Osunluyi who represented the National Association of Nigerian Nurses in North America.

 (NAN)