By CrossRiverWatch Admin
The manpower challenge in the Primary Health sector of Cross River state is set to receive a boost as the state governor, Senator Ben Ayade has given clearance for the employment of additional staff to boost the strenght of workers in the sector.
Speaking during a just concluded retreat for political office holders, the governor ordered immediate audit of the workforce in the PHCs in the state and the injection of new staff from next year to cushion the acute man power shortfall.
He said, “As I went across the state, I noticed some PHCs were closed because there were no staff to work there. Some had one or two staff. This number can’t offer quality 24 hours services to our people.”
The governor asked the DG of the Agency to commence immediate staff audit after which the Agency can go ahead and employ new staff to fill the total number of gaps identified by the exercise.
He further emphasized the importance of functional PHCs to the implementation of the State Health Insurance Scheme which he described as “sustainable healthcare financing for our people who may not afford high cost of treatment at health facilities.”
Ayade promised to fully revitalize the healthcare system in the state before expiration of his tenure and showered encomiums on the strides achieved so far by the state primary health care agency.