Sokoto state government said it has employed 21 fresh doctors who graduated from the Usman Danfodio University, and will be posted to various primary healthcare centres across the state.
Similarly, the government said it is working to regularise professional qualifications of 309 nurses and midwives from the state in preparation for their eventual absorption into the state civil service.
The number include 109 graduate nurses and 200 midwives trained by the Federal Government under the Midwives Service Scheme (MSS).
The state commissioner of health, Dr. Balarabe Shehu Kakale, stated this during a regular briefing to Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal on the activities of the ministry.
A statement issued by Tambuwal’s spokesman, Malam Imam Imam, said the decision to employ the new doctors will boost manpower needs at the primary healthcare centres in various parts of the state.
“As fresh graduates, they are expected to undergo housemanship, but in the meantime, they have received enough training to handle primary health challenges associated with the grass root level.
“We will support them to ensure they complete their further training,” the statement quoted the commissioner as saying.
Meanwhile, the government said it has assisted families to provide free clinical circumcision to 1798 boys across the state.
The policy was introduced to encourage safe circumcision and reduce instances of fatality among boys due to widely used traditional practice.
It said various training sessions are being organised for traditional surgeons (wanzamai) who engage in circumcision of boys known as Kuidu in Sokoto.
The government said the wanzamai are undergoing training in areas like basic hygiene and standard operating procedure, among others.
