Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno state, has approved the engagement of 40 additional doctors for hospitals in Maiduguri and Jere councils. The newly recruited doctors are also to run hospitals in communities affected by over decade long insurgency that claimed many lives and property. Zulum gave the directives on Wednesday, during a meeting with Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) of seven hospitals at Government House, Maiduguri, the state capital While lamenting the dearth of doctors, he said: “There are a number of hospitals in the insurgency-ravaged areas of this state without medical doctors,” noting that the affected hospitals are located in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC) and Jere Local Government Area. Even though the meeting was held behind closed doors, the employment of more doctors was meant to improve the healthcare system. “The engagement of more doctors in hospitals, was to ensure qualitative service delivery to our people living in various communities,” he said. On the level of State’s doctors and health workers, he said: “In the past, the state government had approved the recruitment of 594 health workers, among them, 86 medical doctors, 365 nurses and midwives. “There were the employment of 45 pharmacists and 100 health technicians and other support staff.” While inspecting the State’s Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri, he also directed the construction of an additional ward to address overcrowding in hospital wards.
