Gov. Muhammad Badaru of Jigawa has directed the immediate recruitment of 32 medical doctors to boost the state’s health sector.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the recruits are among the 60 students sponsored by the state government in 2016 to study medicine in China.
Briefing newsman on the development in Dutse on Thursday, Dr Salisu Muazu, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, said Badaru gave the directive after the 32 benefiaries passed their examination from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.
Muazu added that the benefiaries, who visited the governor in his office on Thursday, expressed appreciation for the opportunity given to them by the present administration in the state.
He disclosed that the 32 medical doctors have been sent to the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Dutse, and the Federal Medical Centre Birninkudu, for their housemanship.
He said on completion of the housemanship, the doctors would be posted to various health facilities across the state.
According to him, the remaining 28 beneficiaries will also join the housemanship as soon as they pass the Medical and Dental Council Examination.
The permanent secretary added that the benefiaries have been bonded to serve the state for three years, including the period of the housemanship.
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Information, Youths, Sport and Culture, Alhaji Bala Ibrahim, has disclosed that aside the 60 students sponsored to China, the administration had also recently sponsored another set of 160 students.
He said the new set included 100 females who are expected to study various medical courses in Sudan.
Ibrahim noted that the gesture was aimed at providing enough manpower to manage the newly constructed and upgraded primary and tertiary health facilities across the state.
He added that it was also to make access to quality healthcare services easy and affordable to residents in the state.
On his part, the Commissioner for Education, Dr Lawan Yunusa, said that the benefiaries were selected based on merit after thorough examination and screening.
He, therefore, enjoined them to reciprocate the gesture by staying to serve, no matter how remote or hard-to-reach areas they may be posted to.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Dr AbdulRahman Wada, expressed their commitment to reciprocate the gesture by serving the state to the best of their ability.