By Atlantic Reports

The Borno Government says it has employed nearly 2,000 health workers in the past two years to strengthen healthcare delivery, but staffing shortages remain as more residents seek treatment.

Dr Saleh Kaza, Executive Secretary of the Borno State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (BOSCHMA), disclosed this in an interview on Monday in Maiduguri.

Kaza said the recruitment of doctors, nurses and other health professionals had helped reduce workforce gaps. However, he acknowledged that additional personnel were needed to meet the growing population’s healthcare needs.

He said the agency’s contributory healthcare scheme had increased demand for services, particularly through the formal sector programme covering state civil servants.

The growing number of patients, including beneficiaries of the state’s vulnerable groups programme, meant that recruitment needed to continue alongside improvements to facilities.

According to Kaza, BOSCHMA is working to strengthen healthcare facilities so that enrollees can access affordable, quality medical services.

His account did not include a breakdown of the recruits by profession or location, or figures showing the remaining staffing shortfall. This leaves unclear how the additional workers have been distributed across the state.

Kaza said the government was also investing in medical and nursing institutions to develop a sustainable supply of qualified professionals.

He identified Kashim Ibrahim University and other health training institutions as important sources of future personnel, saying their graduates could strengthen the workforce within the next two to three years.

He added that two additional colleges of nursing were expected to begin admitting students, while existing institutions were expanding their intake. No commencement dates were provided for the new admissions.

The projected increase in personnel will depend on students completing their training and entering the workforce.

Kaza called for continued collaboration among government, healthcare providers and relevant agencies to address staffing and service delivery challenges.

He commended Governor Babagana Zulum for consistently meeting the state’s subsidy obligations to the contributory healthcare scheme.

Kaza said sustained investment in personnel, infrastructure and essential medicines was necessary to improve access to care. For enrollees, the practical test will be whether coverage is matched by available health workers and reliable treatment at their facilities.

Atlantic Reports: Voices. People. Facts.