Nigeria in critical need of health workers, says ex-SGF Yayale

From Ahmad Mohammed, Bauchi

A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Alhaji Mahmud Ahmed Yayale has advised politicians and government at all levels to understand that the country urgently needs health workers to address its health challenges.
Yayale stated this yesterday shortly after he was inaugurated as the Chairman Governing Board of Malikiya College of Health and Social Sciences, Bauchi.
He said Nigeria is in need of more trained health workers for effective health care service delivery.
The former SGF said that without adequate trained manpower, the nation’s health facilities would not be able to render standard services to the citizens urged governments and entrepreneurs to establish more training colleges for doctors and other health care providers.
Yayale advised doctors to always work hand in hand with para health workers for efficient service delivery and advise government not to play Politics on the issue that affects education ,healthcare which are basic necessities for the development of mankind.
He commended the proprietor of the college for his vision of establishing the institution opining that it would go along way in complementing government schools in terms of training health workers.
The proprietor of the school Aminu Mohammed Danmaliki explained that the college was established on the request of the state government in 2014 seeking to bring the private sector to partner with it to build additional health institutions in the state.
He said the request was in view of the manpower shortage in government and private hospitals in the state.
Danmaliki who stated that the college has at present over 3, 000 students added that it offers accredited courses in health, social sciences and intends to affiliate with universities at home and abroad to run full medical courses.
He said that some of the courses being taught in the school include; Community Health Extension Workers (CHEW), Junior Community Health Extension Workers (JCHEW), Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT), X-Ray Technician and Dental Surgery Technician.
Others he said are; National Diploma Dental Therapy, Higher National Diploma Dental Therapy, Health Information Management, Environmental Health Technician, Environmental Health Assistant, Diploma in Health Education and Promotion as well as Diploma in Dietetics and Nutrition.
“ The college is a private institution and is designed to run in accordance with the guidelines of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and other appropriate health regulatory bodies in Nigeria,” he said.