By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
A total of 130 health workers, made up of doctors, nurses and others are being inducted in Kwara State, begining from Tuesday, the state government has said.
They were recently recruited into the state civil service, which was described as a step meant to improve the patient-to-health giver ratio and better medical service delivery in the state.
Director General of the Kwara State Hospital Bureau, KWSHMB, Dr. Sa’ad Aluko, at the induction ceremony said, “We have recruited at least 90 nurses, 19 doctors and at least 20 other allied workers.
“All together, we are recruiting into primary and secondary health facilities and the number will keep increasing. His Excellency saw the need for us to improve healthcare services in the state. He saw the need to repair more of our hospitals and he is a strong believer that the hospitals will not just run itself.
Aluko added that the development would increase the Bureau services, saying, “So, our services have been increasing. People are having more confidence in our services and this has increased patients’ patronage.”
Urging the new health workers to deliver on their mandate, which was to save lives, he stressed that “as professionals, we are to serve the people of the state in the capacities we have been employed for. It is important you know the civil service rules.”
He added, “It is important for you to understand your roles in the state hospitals and save lives. Your role here is to have empathetic nursing care to our people.
“Essentially, every single individual appointed into the service has family members, who access healthcare in our hospitals. So, as you start working with us, you are also serving your people.
“We want a situation where patients will come to our hospitals and be happy with the way we have treated them. We want a situation where our patients will be treated more humanely. That is what we referred to as empathetic nursing care.”
Director of Nursing Services, Mrs Florence Adeniran, at the occasion said that the inductees were meant to enhance healthcare delivery in the state.
She said, “We expect them to perform well, because structures are already on ground. But without structures and without human resources, nothing can happen.
“Now that the state government is employing doctors, nurses and other health workers, we hope healthcare services and and health system are going to improve.”
Also, the Director of Medical Services at the Health Management Board, Dr Femi Johnson said, “Nothing is more laudable than the government recruiting medical professionals into the service. Ll
“At General Hospital Ilorin, there are several places under renovation. Currently, we are planning for cardio-renal unit at the General Hospital Ilorin.
“We have secured approval for postgraduate programme for doctors in family medicine and obstetrics and gynaecology.
“Kwara State is known in this region for success in ophthalmic care and government is riding on that to continue to dictate the pace by expanding those services.
“The number of secondary health facilities is expanding to cover all the rural areas, because the government believes that health care must be spread across all regions of the state. This expansion cannot be meaningful without manpower that will work on them.”
