Don’t Reject Postings To Rural Areas, Niger Govt Tells Medical Personnel

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By; BALA B. BITRUS, Minna
Niger State Government has expressed displeasure over the unspirited attitudes of some health personell in the state who refused posting to rural areas on assignment. It said such selfish disposition was a great disservice to humanity and is against the grain of the medical profession and pactice.
The government noted with dismay such refusal by health workers, particularly Doctors and Nurses to be deployed to rural areas, where their services were urgently required and needed most as a growing negative culture amongst such professionals. It said such attitudes was causing setback to government’s efforts at enhancing health care delivery services to citizens across the state particularly those in the rural communities.
Acting Executive Secretary, Niger State Contributory Health Scheme, Dr. Mohammed Usman said the development is forcing the state government to come out with a system to check such attitudes.
The Acting Executive Secretary disclosed in an interview shortly after an In-Service Operationalization of MNH component of Nigeria Task-Shifting and Task-Sharing Policy Project meeting which took place at the state Ministry of Health and Hospital Services in the state capital, Minna that the state government was evolving a new engagement rule for medics under the services of the state.
Dr. Usman complained that the non challant attitudes of some health workers who reject posting to rural areas, despite the state government’s lucrative incentives such as the Rural Posting Allowance, (RPA) among other social securities, was badly affecting the provision of affordable and qualitative healthcare services at the primary healthcare sector of the state.
He said because of such uncooperative attitudes of some health workers, the state government was considering streamlining mode of engagements that would specifically commit interested, qualified personnel who apply for particular position(s) with the state Ministry of Health, where vacancies exist, to accept condition laid to work in rural health facilities whenever the need arises.
Dr. Usman mooted plans by the state government to embark on complete renovation of a number of rural healthcare facilities across the three senatorial zones in the state. He explained that some of the structures are to be upgraded to serve as referral medical centres.
He said the state government has adopted the Mac Arthur Foundation sponsored Task-shifting and Task-Sharing Policy whereby capable and willing hands who are not ordinarily trained experts in the health sector, are to be trained to man specific functions to fill the gap created by inadequate trained health workers in rural areas.
The Senior Programme Officer, Reproductive Health, Pathfinder International, Dr. Kenny Ewulum who also spoke at the occasion, said the one-day Task Team meeting sponsored by the Mac Arthur Foundation was aimed at to support Niger state government to domesticate and operationalize the work plan which has been ongoing in the past two years.
Mac Arthur Foundation financed Task-shifting and Task-Sharing Policy has over the years assisted the state government to produce the needed funds in medicare according to Dr. Kenny.
Dr. Kenny noted that though the Task Team of the Mac Arthur Foundation drives the process to ensure the sustainability of the policy in the state, the activities of the agency was being hampered by the state government’s frequent transfer of health officers or their refusal to work in rural areas after receiving training on Task-Shifting and Task-Sharing Policy implemention in rural areas.

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