The Ebonyi State Government has declared its intention to hire 2,000 skilled health professionals in a variety of fields, such as community health extension workers, nurses, and doctors.  

This was revealed in Abakaliki by Dr. Phillip Emeka Ovuoba, Executive Secretary of the Ebonyi State Primary Health Care Development Agency (EBSPHCDA), who stated that the recruitment drive is a component of the government's efforts to revitalize primary healthcare facilities and guarantee that only qualified personnel provide services to residents.

“We are proposing that the state government engage 2,000 health workers spread across these cadres. Many of our health workers are retiring, and we want to ensure there’s no gap in manpower while the revitalisation of facilities is ongoing. Any moment from now, the state will begin employing more health workers, including medical doctors,” Ovuoba said.

He clarified that the hiring is a component of the Primary Health Care Revitalization Project, a comprehensive effort by Governor Francis Nwifuru's administration to update healthcare facilities.  

New hospital buildings, staff housing, perimeter fence, solar-powered electricity and water supplies, and better welfare for medical staff are all part of the project.  

Ovuoba pointed out that the depth and sustainability of Ebonyi's primary healthcare revitalization concept are being commended across the country.

“In Ebonyi, every revitalised facility becomes a modern hospital with quarters, water supply, electricity, and fencing. It’s a complete overhaul,” he said.

In order to find and close illicit health facilities, particularly in Ohaukwu and Ezza North Local Government Areas where unlicensed practitioners are prevalent, he also disclosed that the government has established anti-quackery task forces in cooperation with local councils and the Ministry of Health.  

He continued by saying that Ebonyi is one of ten states chosen for the Maternal and Newborn Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMI), a federal initiative backed by the wives of governors and the president.  The program focuses on areas where quack practices are associated with high rates of maternal and perinatal death.  

In order to replace unqualified practitioners and increase access to safe, professional healthcare, the program will send freshly trained nurses, midwives, and community health workers to remote communities.

Source