Emir of Dass in Bauchi State, Usman Bilyaminu Othman, has decried that most Primary Healthcare centers in the state are virtually empty due to manpower deficit in the sector.
The emir who serves as the Chairman of the Emirate Council’s Committee on Health (BSECCOH) in the state said retirement and lack of recruitment of healthcare practitioners posed serious threat to healthcare delivery in the state.
The Radio Nigeria, Bauchi, quoted the emir while speaking at one-day stakeholders’ engagement meeting organized by World Bank assisted Immunization Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transformative Services (IMPACT) project held in Bauchi as saying that there is the urgent need to address manpower shortage in the PHCs.
According to him, there are many health professionals wandering the streets daily without jobs, hence the need for the government to engage them.
He also lamented that recruitment and replacement of retiring personnel remains a significant challenge that must be addressed swiftly.
However, the Project Manager, Dr Adamu Muhammad, said as part of the project’s 2025 work plan, there would be recruitment of 100 Community Health and Environmental Workers (CHEWs) for deployment to rural healthcare facilities across the state.
WikkiTimes has repeatedly reported that there is serious shortage of healthcare providers across the 20 LGAs of the state which leave people without basic healthcare services in public hospitals.