Otu lifts 13-year embargo on health workers recruitment

… engages over 700 health workers

From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar

Governor Senator Bassey Otu has lifted a 13-year embargo on health worker recruitment and hired over 700 health workers to strengthen Cross River’s healthcare system, Special Adviser on Health Dr. Ekpo Bassey has said.

Bassey disclosed this during a 3-year scorecard briefing by the Forum of Special Advisers in Calabar.

He said the administration met a health sector “suffering from a shock” after 13 years without recruitment, as many professionals retired, migrated or died.

“To fix this, Otu approved the employment of over 200 health professionals for secondary facilities andover 500 community health workers for primary care. Doctors now earn under CONMESS to match federal scale, while other health workers got a 50% salary increase”, Dr. Bassey said.

Special Adviser Project M&E, Raphael Adoga, said 73 projects were awarded and also about 130 km road projects are either completed or ongoing. The Governor’s Office has been fully renovated with 500kVA solar, while new Government Houses are under construction in Ogoja and Ikom.

Special Adviser Assets Recovery, Gilbert Agbor, reported recovery of close to ₦1 billion from illegally occupied Cocoa Estate in Etung Local government area of the state, recovery of a number of government assets and also halted the invasion of lands belonging to the University of Cross River State, UNICROSS.

Chairman of the Forum of Special Advisers and SA General Duties, Ekpenyong Akiba, said the briefing was convened to highlight the governor’s achievements within the last three years.