34 students who are indigenes of Katsina State will be offered academic scholarships to study medicine at some recognized universities in the country, and overseas.

This was disclosed yesterday by Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, who also unveiled the Katsina State Government's plan to roll out a health initiative tagged 'Future Doctor Program'.

Radda spoke while hosting a team of international development partners, led by the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA Dr. Faisal Shuaib, who paid him an advocacy visit.

A statement by Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed, the spokesperson to Governor Radda, said that the program is aimed at producing qualified Katsina-born doctors, who would be deployed to the 34 local government areas of the State.

According to Radda, the doctor training program which is part of his administration's strategic policy agenda on health, would make provision for the sponsorship of at least one person from the 34 Katsina LGs to study medicine at recognized Nigerian and foreign universities.

Radda said that he will soon issue a directive for Katsina medical personnel of various categories to be reposted to health facilities where their services are needed most.

"I have already directed the State Ministry of Health to conduct a staff audit to identify the capacity and area of specialisation of the entire medical staff in the State.

"Meanwhile, we are also planning to conduct a recruitment exercise for medical personnel. And for this exercise, more priority shall be given to applicants from local communities, who are qualified.

"This is because we want to address the problem of manpower, across Katsina rural health facilities," he said.

In his remarks, the Executive Director of NPHCDA, Dr. Shuaib, appreciated the visionary steps taken by Governor Radda, particularly in partnering with an institute in the United Kingdom, to establish a Centre of Excellence dedicated to combating infectious diseases in Katsina.

He lamented that Katsina State is having only 15 doctors against the requirement of 296 to man its PHCs, with 3,520 nurses.

According to him, something must be done for the State to bridge the gap of meeting its Sustainable Development Goal, SDG, target of achieving universal health coverage in Katsina.

On his part, the Country Director of the World Health Organization, WHO, Dr. Walter Kazadi Molumbo, appreciated the Katsina Government for establishing a Contributory Health Care Management Agency that enrolled over 400,000 beneficiaries, saying that the initiative will allow more people to have access to better medical services.

He then pleaded with Governor Radda to help provide an enabling environment for development partners and other stakeholders to help the State achieve its healthcare provision goals.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the Katsina Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Shamsuddeen Yahya, thanked the development partners for their various interventions in the State's healthcare sub-sector.

Signed:
Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed,
CPS to Katsina Governor.

August 18th, 2023.

IconicR:
Nice one , our selected president is gradually making changes.
I told you all to be patient

Godisablealltim:
will this scam change the price of gas?

IconicR:
Nice one , our government is gradually making changes.
I told you all to be patient

elujah1:
Most may not want to come back

Bukollah:
Great

AmarachiiaFropi:

Yes. We need more of these

newscraft2023:
34 Katsina Students to Get Medical Scholarship as Radda Launches Doctor Program


https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02iYNxAnpqmJSCk6yyPVQcw2wDuQ8V2eNvsskTyakoHogJoFqZwTVh4e6eREF19Tnwl&id=100092102212219&mibextid=Nif5oz

Luckysbab:
A bit at a loss here.

The 15 medical doctors are what are available in Katsina as a whole or that’s the number available to be deployed to the PHC’s?

Uptheante:

Read the news again, your answer is there

Simeonjoe1:


Nah it's not, cause it doesn't make sense for 15 to man all health unit, spanning state government owned specialist, general hospitals and PHC. A single general hospital can hire that entire amount, maybe PHC he meant.

Luckysbab:
A bit at a loss here.

The 15 medical doctors are what are available in Katsina as a whole or that’s the number available to be deployed to the PHC’s?

Nadingo:
This is commendable. I think Northern Nigeria still ranks first as region where its youths strive for legitimate sources of income. While others have glorified rituals and drug pushing amongst it's youths, the average northerner, who is universally known to be contented, would still burn the midnight candle just to make it legit.

Uptheante:

Read the news again, your answer is there