••• As Ondo NMA commends Members for their unflinching commitment

The Ondo state government has disclosed plans to embark on massive recruitment of “optimal” medical doctors to work in all the state owned hospitals and basic health centers across the state.

The commissioner for health, Dr Banji Ajaka made this known on Thursday while declaring open the 46th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Scientific Conference of the Ondo state branch of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA.

The theme of this year’s conference is; ‘Medicine and The Future Economy: The Ondo State Doctor.’

Speaking on behalf of the state government, Dr Ajaka said, “ The Ondo state government presently is trying to tackle the Japa syndrome in the health sector. You know it is not peculiar to us but now we are tackling it because we have capacity to produce medical doctors and other personnel and we are strengthening it.

“Government has also given approval for more doctors to be employed as well as all the health workers now and we are about concluding. Very soon, we will roll out recruitment exercise for our doctors and other health workers.

“I can tell you that we are recruiting for primary health, secondary health and the tertiary health. It is very huge. We are recruiting to all cadres. We will go for optimal because the resources is not unlimited, we have to go for optimal. If there ten doctors that can man a hospital, we would put the optimal number in that hospital. We are working on the optimal. We are not just recruit for recruitment sake.”

In his address, the NMA chairman in Ondo state, Dr Omosehin Adeyemi-Osowe commended members of the association for their doggedness and commitment to rescue the health sector in spite of the current challenges being faced.

Adeyemi-Osowe said, “I want to express my sincere gratitude to all our members who have dedicated their time, expertise and unwavering commitment to the advancement of medical science and improvement of healthcare, even in the face of the current economic realities at the JAPA Syndrome that has bedeviled the medical profession in Nigeria in the last 24months.

“This year has been particularly challenging for the medical community, as we navigated through unprecedented times, facing numerous obstacles and uncertainties.

“ However, it is during these difficult moments that our resilience, innovative spirit, collective will and efforts shine the brightest. Today’s gathering is a testament to the spirit of collaboration and knowledge sharing that defines our association.”