Kebbi State Government says it has harmonized the Medical Doctors’ salaries to be at par with their colleagues working with the Federal Government’s tertiary health facilities to curb brain drain.
The State Commissioner for Health, Comrade Musa Inusa-Isma’il, disclosed this at the handing over of Ambulances to the state-owned health facilities at the Ministry of Health in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday.
The benefiting health facilities included; Sir Yahaya Memorial Hospital, Birnin Kebbi, State Teaching Hospital, Kalgo, General Hospital, Argungu, General Hospital, Yauri, General Hospital, Zuru, and General Hospital, Bunza.
Inusa-Isma’il said the essence of the harmonization was to retain the existing medical doctors and attract more to the services of the state.
According to him, doctors across the state had already started enjoying the new salaries from August 2024.
He said the donation of the vehicles was in fulfillment of His Excellency, Comrade Dr. Nasir Idris, Kauran Gwandu’s campaign promises.
“His Excellency said I should inform you the beneficiaries of this gesture that the vehicle should be strictly used for the intended purpose. It shouldn’t be used for any other thing else.
“If there is no referral case, each of the vehicles must be parked at the hospital by 6:00 p.m. The governor said you should warn your drivers against reckless driving as well as violating the instructions.
“We should also do everything possible to reciprocate the gesture by working according to the terms and conditions attached,” he advised.
In his speech, the permanent secretary of the ministry, Dr Shehu Koko, recalled that the ambulances were handed over to the ministry last Friday by the governor for onward handover to the benefiting hospitals.
He observed that the ambulances would go a long way in improving the referral system in the state, adding that delays in reaching the secondary and tertiary facilities would be eliminated.
The Perm-Sec attributed the high rate of maternal mortality in the country to delays in getting to the health facilities for proper medical care.
“We believe with the provision of these ambulances, part of the gaps we have in our referral system will be addressed, whereby, patients who require secondary healthcare could be easily transported to secondary and tertiary health centers, where they can get such help,” he said
In a goodwill message, the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Alhaji Yakubu Ahmed-BK expressed gratitude to His Excellency for the support he has given to the ministry to excel.
While advising the beneficiaries to use the vehicles judiciously, the commissioner advised that services and maintenance of the vehicles must be prompt to derive the maximum benefits from the vehicles.
The commissioner also highlighted some achievements recorded by the present Kauran Gwandu administration in just one year plus including; beautification of the state capital, completion of multi-million Naira ultramodern state secretariat, road construction, construction and renovation of classrooms and upgrading of some health facilities among others.
Ahmed-BK used the occasion to solicit more support and cooperation from the entire people of the state to the present administration of Kauran Gwandu to enable the governor to deliver on his campaign promises.
