Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde has assured his administration’s commitment to tackling the shortage of manpower in the state health sector to enhance health care delivery in the state.
Governor Makinde gave the assurance at the 74th foundation day and convocation ceremony of the Oyo State College of Nursing and Midwifery Eleyele, Ibadan.
The governor who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Kehinde Ayinde at the ceremony, informed that since the inception of his administration in 2019, he has prioritized the health sector, been one of the four-point agenda he has prioritize.
He said, school of Midwifery, Eleyele, Ibadan is the State Government’s principal institution saddled with the responsibility to raise middle-class labour to realize the government’s vision of enhancing healthcare delivery to residents of the State.
” As you all know education and health are two of the four-point agenda of my administration, the College is a contributor to both because they train middle-level healthcare manpower’
Stating further, the governor said his administration has evolved a full scholarship scheme for the students of Community Nursing and Community Midwifery across the thirty-three Local Governments and the thirty-five LCDAs of the State with training and re-training of the workforce in the health sector for a target towards addressing the shortage of manpower resulting from the brain drain experienced in the health sector.
Makinde said the action was necessary after the analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
” Apart from the introduction of a scholarship scheme, our administration also felt the need to increase the capacity of the College to train more people and increase the workforce.
” Very recently, I have approved a 6-acre parcel of land located beside the College for the construction of a hostel on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) term to accommodate more students to allow access for more people to be trained.
” This is in a bid to position the College in an enviable point and ensure compliance with the standard required by the Nigerian Medical Council, National Board for Technical Education, and the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.
” It is also in a bid to ensure the standard of operation and academic excellence that my administration has granted the College a semi-autonomous status to fast track her growth in line with the requirements by the supervisory bodies
Governor Makinde thereafter urged the graduates to project the professional ethics and good character that were impacted in them in the course of their training as they were released into society.
