412 Doctors ,Health,Casual workers Engaged by Plateau State Government to boost health capacity - Lalong

412 Doctors ,Health,Casual workers Engaged by Plateau State Government to  boost  health capacity 

The Plateau State Government on Thursday,29th April, 2021 said it has  employed more than 412 Doctors,Health and  Casual workers into the State Health Sector to boost the capacity of the system to respond to the needs of the people in both, rural and urban areas. 

Lalong made this known while speaking at the 61st Annual General Scientific Conference and Delegates Meeting of the Nigerian Medical Association NMA held in Jos .

He said "We shall continue to employ more especially as we complete the new hospitals under construction.

In his words,Governor Lalongsaid"We are glad that you chose Plateau State as the venue for this years’ annual meeting of this great Association, the NMA. Your choice of Plateau State is certainly not misplaced as our Rescue Administration has done a lot to restore peace and security in the State. Your presence here confirms the confidence that Nigerians and the global community now has in the State."

The Governor continued that" I  therefore invite you to enjoy all the boundless hospitality that the Home of Peace and Tourism and its people have to offer in terms of serene weather; scenic beauty; and accommodating people. "

The Chairman Northern Governor's Forum and the Governor of Plateau State said that this year’s Annual General Scientific Conference with the theme: “Nigeria and the Global Health Agenda 2030” is very timely and auspicious because of the growing need for access to quality and affordable healthcare among the citizens. Indeed, your choice of sub-themes also reflects the reality of the times that are defined by Covid-19.

 He also said "We are all witnesses to the challenges that have been generated by the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic which have stretched and threatened the nation’s health system as well as other sectors, including the economy. Because of the pandemic, health workers and patients have continued to face enormous risks within the system and regrettably with some fatalities.

That is why my administration has devoted considerable amount of attention and resources to improving the health sector by specifically addressing infrastructure, manpower and access. This we believe remains the only way we can give our people the quality healthcare they require to contribute to the development of the State and the nation at large.

 " It is no longer news that we inherited a troubled healthcare sector which has been struggling for a very long time due to neglect, dwindling manpower and low funding. "

 As a State, we are doing our best to key into the efforts of the Federal Government to improve healthcare funding and delivery in Nigeria under the leadership of His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari. 

 Distinguished guests, and members of the medical profession, permit me to highlight some out of the many efforts we have made to revamp our health sector in Plateau State since we came into office. Shortly after assuming office, we approved the Implementation of Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) for health care workers. This was in addition to the Payment of all outstanding salary arrears for all civil servants, including Doctors and other health workers.

The Governor further said "To beef up the health infrastructure in the State, we prioritized the completion of all inherited health projects that were abandoned for many years. These include the Riyom General Hospital and Trauma Centre; General Hospital Kwall, Kanke LGA; as well as General Hospital, Mabudi in Langtang South LGA. They will all be commissioned soon.

" In addition, we commenced the construction of six new modern General Hospitals across the three geopolitical zone of the State under the Lalong Legacy Projects. This is the game changer for our people because on completion, these will be world standard health facilities that will not only meet the needs of our people, but also lure Nigerians and people from other countries for medical tourism to Plateau State."

"We have equally strengthened institutional framework for health delivery by establishing the Plateau State Primary Health Care Board with a Medical Doctor appointed as the pioneer Executive Secretary. Similarly, we also established the Plateau State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (PLASCHEMA) with another Medical Doctor again appointed as the first Director-General."

 Apart from signing into law, the Bill establishing Plateau State Specialist Hospital, we have continued to upgrade its facilities. At the moment, we are about to acquire another upgrade with state of the art medical facilities such as CT Scan, MIR, and Digital X-ray. 

In this same hospital and others, we have granted study leave for Doctors working to enable them proceed on Residency Training.

Lalong further said that  Plateau State is blessed to be a hub for medical training in Nigeria with many health institutions that perform this specialized task. We have JUTH, Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Ola Hospital, Plateau State Specialists Hospital among others. The Faculty of Health Sciences is about to take off at the Plateau State University Bokkos with a proposed Teaching Hospital currently under construction in Shendam. 

As medical practitioners, you may be aware that Plateau State remains one of the States with a very high response rating in the fight against the Corona Virus Pandemic. 

We have three COVID-19 Testing Sites at National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Jos University Teaching Hospital and Plateau State Virology Research Center and a privately run laboratory approved by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). This in addition with our massive sensitization efforts made us to be ranked 3rd by the NCDC in testing capacity among the 36 States of the Federation. We also ensured the payment of COVID-19 Hazard and Inducement Allowance to Doctors and other Health workers to motivate them to continue to give their best towards saving lives.

As part of our efforts to find cure for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases using indigenous remedies, we set up the Plateau State COVID-19 Medical Research Team including some of your members to assist us find a solution to this pandemic and other infectious diseases. I am happy to inform you that they have submitted the interim progress of their work to NAFDAC and we are awaiting the outcome.

 I am aware that the NMA has been at the forefront of calling the attention of stakeholders particularly Government to these issues with some positive results. However, you must not be tired of pushing for a better health system which will alleviate the sufferings of the citizens and guarantee a healthier population.

23. Permit me to use this opportunity to express my concern about the issue of strikes and its negative impact in the health sector. While we agree that agitations for better working conditions and staff welfare is a legitimate right, I wish to appeal to our medical personnel to show greater restrain in resolving industrial disputes. Strikes usually bring greater suffering to the citizens. 

24. On our part, Government shall continue to work towards addressing the several problems and areas of dispute in the health sector within the limit of resources. Many of the problems in the sector predate the current administration which though is constrained by lack of resources.

25.  I want to assure the NMA of the support of the Plateau State Government towards its programmes and projects. We have already made commitment to support the building of the NMA National Secretariat in Abuja, just as we have been assisting the Plateau State Chapter in various ways.

 I also note the request for assistance towards the Doctors House and Permanent Plateau NMA Secretariat Building. In due course, we shall see how to also come in to assist. On the full implementation of (CONMESS) for Doctors across board in the State, we shall revisit it and evaluate the modality for achieving it. We shall also set up a Technical Committee to look into the domestication and Universal implementation of Medical Residency Training Act 2017 for Doctors working with the State Government. 

I have already directed the reconstitution of Plateau State Health Monitoring Team to curb the activities of quacks that are causing havoc in the medical field on the Plateau State. This time, we will collaborate more with the NMA and security agencies to ensure that the introduction of the Doctors stamp is enforced strictly.