Shortage Of Medics Worsening Health Services, A’Ibom Assembly Warns

Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has warned that unless there was urgent government intervention, public hospitals in the state risk avoidable deaths due to the paucity of medical workers.

The House Committee on Health has therefore, called on the state government to “recruit more health workers as the secondary health care facilities in the state are in dire need of more hands to deliver effective health care services to the people as budgetary provisions are made for it in the 2024 Budget approved.”

Chairman of the committee and member representing Ibiono Ibom state constituency, Hon Moses Essien, made the call during an on-the-spot assessment of some general hospitals in the state.

He made a case for “Doctors and nurses who work at the secondary health care facilities to reside within the environment they work in to render 24/7 health services,” maintaining that the government has made provision for staff quarters to give the health workers an opportunity to reside close to their patients in case of emergencies.

On the issue of inadequate subventions raised by some Chief Medical Superintendents (CMS), in some hospitals, the chairman explained that “the hospitals generate a good amount of revenue to the state government,” and called on the State Ministry of Health to look into the increment of the subventions and stay consistent with it so as to ensure adequate provisions are made for the people.

Speaking on maintenance culture in the hospitals, Hon. Essien charged the CMSs in each of the hospitals to ensure that the health facilities put under their care do not rot and that the environment should remain in good condition, befitting of a healthcare facility, adding that “to whom much is given, much is expected.”

He urged them to set up machinery to ensure that adequate repairs are done in time to avoid unnecessary deterioration of hospitals’ infrastructure.

In their separate responses, the CMSs of General Hospital, Akwa, Onna local government area, Dr. Francis Inyang; Immanuel Hospital, Eket, Dr. Itaketo Ndaeyo, and General Hospital, Iquita, Oron, Dr. Sabastine Noah, while analysing the nature of their hospitals, staff strength and their unique operations regarding health care services, explained that the medical needs of the people are of utmost importance to them and that they are doing their best to deliver quality health care services to the people.