FCTA to recruit more health workers — Perm. Sec

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) said on Friday in Abuja that it would recruit 900 health workers for its hospitals.

Dr Babagana Adams, Permanent Secretary, Health and Environment Services Secretariat (HESS), said this at a dinner and award night organised by the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) FCT Council.

The dinner and award night was organised to wrapped-up the 2024 FCT nurses week which started with Jumaat Prayer on Sept. 20.

Adams said that the Minister of FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, had approved the recruitment of the health workers.

He said that the minister had also approved the engagement of other 342 health professionals, adding that the process would commence soon.

Adams also pledged to raise a proposal to support the demand for health professionals’ village before the end of the current administration.

He said there would also be a proposal for nurses mobility to ease their movement to work.

He said discussion had begun with WEMA and Zenith banks to partner and support the demand of nurses.

He said that the proposal would spell out mode of payment in s seamless manner.

Mr Jama Medan, chairman of the council, advocated expansion of hospitals in the FCT, saying that most districts in the city were without hospitals.

According to him, the growing population in the FCT has outweighed the number of hospitals, hence the need for expansion and more procurement of equipment.

He encouraged nurses not to migrant abroad or change profession though they were faced with heavy workload.

Medan commended Wike for turning things around in the FCT, saying that the nurses believed in with time their efforts would be well rewarded.

“The minister has started on a good note by first approving the 25 per cent wage increment and other arrears for the nurses,” he said.

The best nurse in the FCT award was presented to Rosemary Okoroafor from Karshi General Hospital by Dr Esther Osunluyi who represented the National Association of Nigerian Nurses in North America.