Taraba recruits 300 health personnel to boost healthcare delivery

The Taraba State Government says it has recruited 300 additional health workers for the Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs), across the state to boost healthcare service delivery.

Dr.Tukura Nyigwa, the Executive Secretary, Taraba PHCs, disclosed this in Jalingo on Sunday.

Nyigwa said that the feat was achieved following a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) with support from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI).

The executive secretary stated that plans were on the way to recruit an additional 150 personnel to ensure that PHCs were fully functional for enhanced quality of service to save lives.

“Taraba Government has just concluded recruitment of 300 health personnel to boost healthcare service delivery at the PHCs level.

“The recruitment is made possible due to the MOU by GAVI, UNICEF, and the Taraba government on PHCs strengthening.

“The MOU has positively impacted vaccination for children in the hard-to-reach areas with coverage of Penta 3 vaccine from 43 to 80 per cent,” he said.

Nyigwa also said that the MOU has helped the state to strengthen the capacity of health personnel at the local government level for effective service delivery to the rural dwellers.

He noted that the activities of Mama to Mama (women advocating to younger women on healthcare-seeking behaviours) have tremendously increased the number of women for antenatal care, exclusive breastfeeding, and immunisation by rural dwellers.

Dr Nuzhat Rafique, Chief, UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, had charged journalists to champion the course of maternal and child health in their various places of work for a better society.