Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno has approved the immediate recruitment of 473 medical personnel to strengthen healthcare delivery across the state.

Abubakar Kullima, the chief medical director of the Borno State Hospitals Management Board, made this known in a statement issued in Maiduguri.

Mr Kullima said the recruitment was aimed at improving access to quality healthcare services and addressing manpower gaps in hospitals and primary healthcare centres across the state.

He said the approved recruitment covers a broad range of health professionals, including medical doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, community health extension workers (CHEWs) and other critical health workers.

The chief medical director said the recruitment also includes technical and support staff, as well as specialised personnel such as primary eye care and perioperative care nurses.

“The governor has approved the recruitment of 473 medical personnel to enhance healthcare service delivery and ensure residents have improved access to quality medical care,” he said.

Mr Kullima added that the new staff would be deployed to general hospitals and primary health centres across the three senatorial zones of the state.

He said that the approval forms part of ongoing reforms and interventions in the health sector under Mr Zulum’s administration.

The chief medical director said the governor had recently approved special training funds for resident doctors and inaugurated new healthcare facilities, including eye and dental hospitals, to expand access to specialised medical services.

He stated further that the governor had also approved the immediate implementation of a 100 per cent rural posting allowance for medical doctors and a 40 per cent allowance for nurses working in hard-to-reach communities.

Mr Kullima said the directive was contained in a memo issued to the Borno State Hospitals Management Board.

The chief medical director said that the policy was designed to attract and retain qualified medical personnel in rural areas where healthcare manpower was limited.

“The new policy will effectively double the remuneration of doctors who accept postings in rural communities, considering the challenging working conditions and the urgent need for skilled medical personnel outside the state capital,” he said.

(NAN)