By Victor Nwegede, Abakaliki.
Ebonyi State Ministry of Health in collaboration with USAID Nigeria Workforce Management Activity and other professional health associations have urged the government to adopt a holistic approach towards strengthening manpower in the health sector.
The State Program Coordinator of the United States Agency for International Development, USAID Health Workforce Management, HWM in Ebonyi, Dr Ibiam Azu disclosed this yesterday while briefing newsmen on the event of the World Health Worker Week for the year 2024.
The Health Worker Week according to Azu is an annual event normally held in April to celebrate the health workforce across the globe.
"We decided to celebrate them this year with a theme: Safe and Supported: Invest in health workers. We are saying, that anywhere they are, their safety should be guaranteed. They have to be supported by government, private organisations and individuals," he said.
He explained that the event kicked off with road walk sensitization on the need to invest in the health workers, ensuring their safety and being supported by people.
Also, a one-day free medical outreach was carried out to the Ikwo community as part of commemorating the health week, Azu added.
He said different health stakeholders including students converged and had a multi-sectoral dialogue on how to improve the training of the desiring medical professionals to produce quality health workers and services in the state.
Azu noted that the panellists during the event observed that the japa syndrome has increased and also craved in lack of manpower to facilitate training and other medical services in the health institutions.
The Coordinator stressed that even though the present administration in Ebonyi under the watch of Governor Francis Nwifuru, has done well to modify the health sector, the panellists called for more improvement in workers' remuneration, their general welfare and infrastructural development of the health establishments especially the primary health centres in the state.
He stressed the need for the improvement of in-service training and motivation packages of health workers by the relevant authorities, saying the steps if taken, would go a long way to curtail japa syndrome in the state and beyond.
Further, the President of the Medical Women Association of Nigeria, Ebonyi State Chapter, Mrs Lilian Nwobashi urged the government to provide an enabling environment and budget for in-service training, ensure full implementation in the training and retraining health workers for excellent service delivery.
On the other hand, she said the health service providers should satisfy the APA form requirements to merit training and retraining in the active service period.
Additionally, Chibuike Eluwa, who is working with the USAID Nigeria Health Workforce Management Activity in the state recommended a mentorship mechanism and well-packaged motivations to encourage health actors especially those aspiring to become professionals.
"So, health workers are advocating for a holistic approach to strengthening medical manpower to ensure that they produce medical graduates who will eventually work in the health facilities for quality healthcare and service delivery in the state," he hinted.
