Cross River resumes health workers recruitment after 13yrs
The Cross River State Government has resumed the recruitment of health workers after a 13-year freeze, employing more than 700 personnel as part of efforts to address critical manpower shortages and strengthen healthcare service delivery across the state.
The move is expected to bolster a health sector that had grappled with years of workforce depletion following the prolonged suspension of recruitment, which left many health facilities struggling to meet the healthcare needs of residents.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Ekpo Bassey, disclosed this during a three-year scorecard briefing organised by the Forum of Special Advisers in Calabar.
According to him, the absence of recruitment for over a decade created significant gaps in the health workforce as a result of retirements, migration of skilled professionals and deaths, placing considerable strain on healthcare facilities across the state.
To address the challenge, Bassey said Governor Bassey Otu approved the employment of more than 200 health professionals for secondary healthcare facilities and over 500 community health workers for primary healthcare centres spread across the state.
He added that the administration had also taken steps to improve the welfare of health workers by aligning the salaries of medical doctors with the Federal Government’s Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, while other categories of health personnel benefited from a 50 per cent salary increase.
“The health sector was suffering from a shock after 13 years without recruitment. Many health professionals had retired, relocated or passed on. To address this challenge, the governor approved the employment of over 200 health professionals for secondary facilities and more than 500 community health workers for primary healthcare centres,” he said.
Bassey described the recruitment exercise as a strategic intervention aimed at strengthening healthcare delivery, expanding access to quality medical services and improving health outcomes, particularly in underserved and rural communities.
Also speaking at the briefing, the Special Adviser on Project Monitoring and Evaluation, Raphael Adoga, said the administration had awarded 73 projects, while approximately 130 kilometres of road projects had either been completed or were ongoing across different parts of the state.
He further disclosed that the Governor’s Office had been renovated and equipped with a 500kVA solar power system, while new Government Houses were currently under construction in Ogoja and Ikom.
On asset recovery, the Special Adviser on Assets Recovery, Gilbert Agbor, revealed that the state had recovered nearly ₦1 billion from illegally occupied cocoa estate assets in Etung Local Government Area.
Agbor added that several government-owned assets had also been recovered, while encroachment on lands belonging to the University of Cross River State had been successfully halted.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Forum of Special Advisers and Special Adviser on General Duties, Ekpenyong Akiba, said the briefing was organised to highlight the achievements recorded by the Otu administration over the past three years.
He noted that the forum would continue to engage residents on government programmes, policies and interventions aimed at improving the welfare and living conditions of citizens across the state.