Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has approved the payment of a Medical Residency Training Fund of N1 million to each resident doctor in the state civil service.
Ekerete Udoh, the governor's spokesman, disclosed this in a statement issued in Uyo on Wednesday.
According to Mr. Udoh, the fund is designed to provide financial support to cover various expenses associated with medical residency training, including the costs of multiple stages of examinations, course fees, research projects, personal equipment and accessories.
Mr Udoh said the approval of the fund by Governor Eno would facilitate postgraduate training of doctors in specialized skills and qualifications, while supporting their careers.
“This would also help produce specialists who will fill the existing staffing gap, especially in the consultant cadre, in secondary healthcare centres and mitigate the brain drain in the state,” he said.
He said that training qualified specialists in the different fields of medicine remains one of the main priorities of the Eno administration.
“As the state prepares to commission the Akwa Ibom State Teaching Hospital, these specialists will provide the necessary intellectual manpower to the teaching hospital.
Article page with promotion of financial support
“The provision of quality health care services, especially at the primary level, is a key component of the Arise Agenda.
“The Governor has followed up on this issue, with the construction and implementation of model primary health care centres in some local government areas, including others that will soon be operational.
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“The inauguration of the Akwa Ibom State Health Insurance Agency Board with a clear mandate to commence the journey towards eliminating out-of-pocket expenses for healthcare is another bold move by the Governor in fulfilling his campaign promise,” Mr. Udoh said, adding that the Governor has directed the recruitment of health professionals to help drive his vision in healthcare delivery service.
“The Governor values the strong collaboration between the (state) government and the leadership of the National Association of General Practitioners and Government Dentists,” he said.