Gov. Bello Matawalle of Zamfara on Wednesday said the newly-recruited 1,000 health personnel by his administration will enjoy the N30,000 minimum wage.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Matawalle had recently approved the recruitment of 1,000 health care givers through State Primary Health Care Board.
Matawalle, represented by the state Deputy Governor, Sen. Hassan Nasiha, announced this in Gusau while inaugurating a Five-day orientation training for the 1,000 newly-recruited health personnel.
The governor said the gesture is in line with his administration’s policy of promoting health care delivery in the state.
“All the 1,000 newly-recruited health personnel would enjoy the minimum wage approved for all civil servants starting from the end of November.
“You are going to receive your first salary in Dec. 25, 2022, and by the grace of God you would enjoy the recently-approved minimum wage,” he added.
Matawalle charged the newly-recruited personnel to justify the confidence given to them.
He said the recruitment is in addition to the recent employment of various sets of health personnel through the Hospital Service Management Board, Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital and the College of Nursing Sciences and Midwifery, Gusau.
“As we all know, recently, the state sponsored 551 indigenes of the state to study health related courses within and outside the state.
“These efforts followed the construction of 147 Primary Healthcare Centers and 17 Women and Children Welfare Hospitals across the state,” the governor explained.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, state ministry of health, Aliyu Maikiyo, said all recruited personnel went through a series of interviews and examinations.
“They were fully screened and found qualified to be recruited as health care givers”, Maikiyo said.
The Executive Secretary, State Primary Health Care Board, Dr Ismai’l Tukur, described the recruitment as a great achievement recorded by Matawalle’s administration in promoting the health sector.
“This is to complement the construction of one functional primary health care center in each of the 147 political wards and tricycle ambulances across the 14 local government areas of the state.
“We are going to make sure that the services of the recruited health personnel reach the targeted beneficiaries at the grassroots,” Dr Tukur said.
In a goodwill message on behalf of health partners working in the state, Dr Yusuf Argungu, from the World Health Organization (WHO), thanked the state government for the recruitment.
“We, the health partners working in the state, are very excited for recording this development. This is in line with our mission of promoting health care services in Zamfara.
“This will go along way in reducing maternal mortality rates. This will make health care services at grassroots very active and reliable,” Dr Argungu explained. (NAN)