No fewer than 60 Midwives and Nurses have been recruited and trained by Kogi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (KSPHCDA) under its Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).
Speaking during a one-week Training/Orientation programme for Midwives on Friday, Kogi Commissioner for Health, Dr Zakari Usman, congratulated them for being among the selected few out of the numerous applicants.
Usman noted that the recruitment of capable hands was the best thing that could happen to the development of primary healthcare in the state.
He added that the PHC facilities were the closest to the people at the grassroots across the 21 local government areas of the state.
He advised the nurses and midwives to be ready to take responsibility, hardworking and obey rules and regulations guiding their line of duty, saying defaulters would be sanctioned.
He warned them against being ambitious by acting contrary to the rules of engagement, stressing that erring officers would be arrested and prosecuted.
Usman further enjoined the midwives to refer serious cases beyond their capacity to the next available secondary healthcare facility.
The commissioner urged them to inject themselves into the community and respect the culture and tradition of the people.
Dr Abubakar Yakubu, the Executive Director, KSPHCDA, said all selection criteria were duly followed in the recruitment process, saying ”the midwives are capable and well qualified”.
He assured that the midwives would be regularly monitored at the facilities to ensure effective healthcare service delivery, saying defaulters would be removed from the system.
He gave the assurance that the PHC facilities across the state would be continuously equipped with medical consumables for optimal performance.
Yakubu added that more midwives and nurses would subsequently be recruited, saying the 60 was the first batch.
Also, Dr Ogbonnaya Omaha, Principal Medical Officer, NPHCDA, commended Kogi State Government for its commitment to embrace fully the implementation of BHCPF in Kogi and assured them of the support of NPHCDA.
The state’s Focal Person of BHCPF, Dr Emmanuel Jonah, said the recruitment went through a rigorous process to ensure compliance with the best standard.
He said BHCPF was established under section 11 of the National Health Act as catalytic funding to improve access to primary health care.
He noted that 10 per cent of BHCPF under the NPHCDA Gateway was earmarked for Human Resources for PHC interventions, consisting of 5 per cent for midwives and 5 per cent for Community Health Influencers and Promoters Agents (CHIPS). (NAN)
