The federal government has granted waivers in hospitals for the employment of health workers to improve healthcare delivery.

The Minister of Health for State, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Thursday during an official visit to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.

Mr Alausa said medical directors would get waivers for employment starting in 2024, as the Federal Ministry of Health would set up a waiver committee for all hospitals.

“The president saw the need and gave the approval for us to start it in the ministry,” said Mr Alausa. “Each institution will generate the number of workers it needs, and there will be some checks and balances based on the budget.”

The minister, who pledged transparency in the process, said the government will ensure that hospitals maintain the number of recruitments.

“The waiver committee will meet to address waiver requests; there won’t be any delay in the review, as the process has started now,” Mr Alausa said.

He promised that the government and the ministry would look into the plight of UCH.

The minister urged the hospital to look at other power supply sources, such as solar, to ameliorate the challenge of inadequate power supply.

Mr Alausa enjoined UCH to consider training more health specialists who would meet the needs of the present-day health sector.

“We can’t fix all the problems at once, but the good thing is that we have a direction.

“We have a passionate president who is ready to support our health sector and hospitals so that they can give excellent care to the citizens,” he said.

Earlier, the UCH chief medical director, Jesse Otegbayo, listed the hospital’s challenges as incessant power cuts, the high cost of diesel, and an insufficient water supply. 

(NAN)