Kwara govt. debunks newspaper report on doctor – patient ratio

The Kwara State government has debunked a newspaper report claiming that the ratio of doctor – to – patient in the state is one doctor to 12,000 people.

In a rejoinder by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina El-Imam on Sunday, she said that “the specific doctor-to-patient ratio cited is a concoction”.

According to El-Imam, improvement in Kwara healthcare delivery is better than before.

She said the State Government acknowledges challenges in the health sector but rejects the portrayal of systemic collapse.

“At any rate, manpower challenges are a national, even international, challenge; not one unique to Kwara State.

“Nigeria as a whole faces a shortage of healthcare workers due to global migration trends.

“Nonetheless, under the leadership of His Excellency, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the State has maintained open approval for the recruitment of doctors and other health workers across cadres, including medical officers, specialists, and other allied health professionals,” El-Imam explained.

The Commissioner said that across the three central hierarchical tiers of health service delivery, recruitments have been conducted to reduce the effects of attrition and generally improve patients to health worker ratios.

El-Imam said over 1,000 health workers across several professions were recruited into the primary health care system in 2025.

“Also, 150 nurses and midwives, recently recruited by the State will resume in the coming weeks across state secondary hospitals.

“Lastly, dozens of health and allied staff, including medical doctors, were similarly recruited for Kwara State University Teaching Hospital (KWASUTH) in 2025.

“The State Government has also consistently maintained an improved salary structure at parity with the Federal Government and ensures prompt salary payments,” she said.

The Commissioner added that the government has been supporting training and capacity development programmes through payment of the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) and accoutrement allowances.

El-Imam said that since 2019, the administration has implemented measurable and wide-ranging reforms aimed at strengthening primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare systems, including infrastructure upgrades, workforce expansion, and health insurance coverage.

She said that contrary to claims of neglect, the government has undertaken renovation and equipping of 193 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) across all 16 LGAs under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF),

The Commissioner said 83 centres were also renovated through the Immunisation Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transformation (IMPACT) programme and multiple others from wholly state-supported initiatives.

“This is unprecedented. Several others are being renovated as we speak. Similarly, several general hospitals have also undergone phased infrastructural upgrades.

“In further demonstration of its commitment to strengthening tertiary healthcare delivery and medical training, the State Government has converted the General Hospital Ilorin to Kwara State University Teaching Hospital (KWASUTH), a hospital which has recently been accredited by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).

“Additionally, the state has also entered into partnerships with two private universities (Thomas Adewumi University, Oko and Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin) for the conversion of two state-owned hospitals (General Hospital, Omu-Aran and Sobi Specialist Hospital) to their respective affiliated Teaching Hospitals.

“This unprecedented initiative is designed to bridge the gap in quality service delivery, expand training capacity for medical students, and improve the availability of skilled healthcare professionals within the state,” El-Imam said.