The Chairman of Nigerian Medical Association, Abia State, Dr Ezinwa Ezuruike has called on the Abia State Civil Service Commission and other concerned agencies to resume the process for the recruiting of 771 health workers which was approved by Governor Alex Otti.
Dr Ezuruike, who made the call in Umuahia, expressed surprise at the sudden suspension of the recruitment exercise, last week.
Speaking on a live program, Open Parliament with Family Love FM, Umuahia, the NMA Chairman praised Governor Alex Otti for his wisdom in approving the employment of more health workers and for reconstructing health facilities in the State.
He, however, called for urgent resumption of the employment to take care of patients-health workers ratio in urban and rural areas.
“The Governor has been doing well in the area of renovation and equipping of primary health centre and facilities in the senatorial zones.
“But this must be matched up with the required human resource because it is not the structures that that would do these work,” he said.
He said that employing more health workers as approved by Governor Otti would go a long way in addressing the shortage of experienced professional health workers in the State.
Ezuruike who said that every local government should have medical officer for health and array of other experienced medical professionals, also lamented that the new salary structure approved for health workers in Abia by Governor Otti has not been implemented, about two months after it was announced.
“But it is sad to know that up till now, the agencies and department that are to facilitate the commencement of the salary structure which was announced to commence in May 2025 are yet to make that to materialise,” he noted.
He said that recruitment of more health workers, adequate salary structure, good working environment and other incentives were key to preventing the best brains in the medical industry from seeking jobs overseas.
Abia State Civil Service Commission last week, while announcing the suspension of the employment by the Ministry of health, assured applicants that a new date for resumption of the exercise would be announced.
