By Rabiu Doma, Nasarawa
The commissioner for health, Nasarawa state, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe opened a Pandora box concerning the condition of the State’s General hospitals – during a revealing interview with selected journalist at his office, today.
Dr. Akabe revealed that General hospitals in the state have the workforce of only thirty [30] professional doctors – that cover the over twenty [20] General hospitals in the state. He stated that the acute shortage of doctors serves a potent peril to the future of the state.
On assumption of office, the commissioner indicated that he observed that there was a gross shortage of professional doctors working at the General hospitals. The General hospital located in Toto, according to the commissioner has only one professional doctor with only 8 nurses. The General hospitals located in Arikya and Ajaga, he said were in comatose.
“Arikya and Ajaga General Hospitals are in dysfunctional shape, the commissioner maintained that clearing and fumigation of the two (2) hospitals are at completion stage – soon operations will commence in earnest“.
The commissioner said the shortage of professional doctors has been a general phenomenon across the General hospitals in the state. He added that public hospitals in the state are in comatose – that the only panacea to combat the acute shortage of doctors in the state is for the Governor to lift the embargo on employment.
In his words, “If the Governor lifts the embargo on employment at the state ministry of health, it will seriously curtail the pervasive shortage of manpower”.
The health commissioner identified shortage of fund as a major constraint bedeviling the execution of new projects by the present administration. He said preparation are on top gear for the fencing of General hospitals – that the state Government has already acquire land for the fencing of all affected hospitals.
Also, the state Government is to begin the conversion of the temporary site (structure) of School of Nursing and Midwifery Lafia to General hospital – the General hospital will serve as an annex to Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital. The aim of the conversion will be to tackle the pervasive congestion experienced in DASH.
