Yobe Boosts Healthcare with 2,500 New Workers, Upgrades 5 Hospitals to Specialist Status
From Alhaji Yusuf, Damaturu
In a significant push to transform its healthcare sector, the Yobe State Government has employed 2,500 healthcare workers and upgraded five general hospitals to specialist facilities across the state.
Dr. Abubakar Yerima, Executive Secretary of the State Hospitals Management Board, disclosed this during an inspection and media briefing at the newly upgraded Buni-Yadi Specialist Hospital in Gujba Local Government Area.
He explained that the five hospitals upgraded to specialist status are located in Buni-Yadi, Gedam, Gashua, Potiskum, and Damaturu.
“This overhaul is expected to dramatically improve access to specialized care, reduce unnecessary referrals outside the state, and ultimately save lives,” he said.
He outlined a comprehensive strategy focusing on infrastructure, specialized manpower, and staff welfare to curb medical tourism and reduce preventable deaths.
Dr. Yerima explained that key infrastructure projects include the construction of a new Maternity Complex with a Special Care Baby Unit to tackle high maternal and neonatal mortality, a new Accident & Emergency complex for trauma and insurgency victims, and a state-of-the-art twin-theatre surgical complex—one of only two in the state.
“We are focusing on high-volume centres that can serve as hubs for referrals from surrounding communities and primary healthcare centres,” Dr. Yerima said.
He further revealed that about 70 healthcare workers are undergoing residency training to become specialists, while others are receiving training in dialysis, ICU, peri-operative, and emergency nursing.
Addressing the challenge of staff retention, he noted that the Ministries of Works and Health are rehabilitating and constructing new staff quarters to accommodate healthcare workers within hospital premises.
