In an effort to solve the manpower needs in the health sector especially in the North- Eastern part of Nigeria, the Federal Government has approved the establishment of School of Nursing and Midwifery in Nguru Local government of Yobe State.
The Chief Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre Nguru, Dr. Abubakar Musa made this known while briefing the Hon Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire who was on assessment tour of the hospital.
Musa said: “the Federal Medical Centre, Nguru in its efforts to fulfil one of its given mandates of health manpower training, got the approval of its then Board of Management, the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria to establish a School of Midwifery. This is in order to address the growing shortage and imbalance in the availability of skilled manpower that is prevalent in the North –East and most especially in Yobe State which is viewed as among the worst in the country.”
The School is to be situated at the former Federal Medical Centre old site as the Medical Centre has moved to a newly built permanent site.
In his response, the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, expressed optimism that the school when fully operationalize would drastically reduce the manpower challenge, not only within the catchment areas but the entire Yobe State.
Osagie said: “I fully approve and support the efforts to develop human resources based staff, especially the School of Nursing and Midwifery to start as quickly as possible because we need those resources based officers urgently”.
He encouraged the people living within the area to fully participate in the school activities so that at end of their studies they can stay and support health sector in their communities.
The Minister further called on the staff of the hospital to put in their best at least to work for 40 hours per week.
“While we are struggling to ensure that FMC Nguru gets its fair share from the federal government, you should also work with dedication and humility for at least the number of hours expected of you per day.” He added.
The Minister noted that with the federal government policy of revitalizing 10,000 Primary Healthcare Centres across the country ,and with launched of saving one million lives programme which federal government disbursed $1,500,000 to all states to improve primary health care centres ,the pressure on the Federal Medical Centre would be reduced.
He added that the Primary Healthcare Centre would be handling basic health care services while the Federal Medical Centre would only serves as referral centre.
