.. Orders implementation of 100% rural allowance for doctors
From HASSAN JIRGI Maiduguri
Borno State governor, Babagana Zulum, has approved the immediate recruitment of 473 medical personnel, including doctors, for hospitals across the state.
The Chief Medical Director, CMD, of Borno State Hospital Management Board, Professor Abubakar Kullima, disclosed this to journalists in Maiduguri.
According to him, the approval was to enhance healthcare service delivery in the state with a view to ensure that residents have improved access to quality medical care.
Providing a detailed breakdown of the recruitment, Professor Kullima stated that the governor had approved the employment of 473 health professionals, including medical doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists and other critical health workers, to some of the newly commissioned health centres.
He also said the recruitment covers critical technical and support staff, including approval of primary eye care and perioperative care nurses.
This recruitment is the latest in a series of interventions in the health sector by the Zulum administration.
Governor Zulum had recently approved special training funds for resident doctors and commissioned new health facilities, including eye and dental hospitals, to expand access to specialised health care.
The new employees will be deployed to general hospitals and primary health centres across the three senatorial zones.
Meanwhile, Zulum also directed the immediate implementation of 100 percent rural posting allowance for medical doctors and 40 percent allowance for nurses working in hard-to-reach areas across the state.
The approval was contained in a memo to the Borno State Hospital Management Board which noted that the implementation is designed to attract and retain qualified medical personnel in rural communities.
He added that the new policy will double the financial remuneration of doctors who accept postings in rural communities, taking into consideration the challenging service conditions and the critical need for skilled medical staff outside the state capital.
