The Sokoto State Government has rolled out a mandatory two-year rural service scheme for all medical professionals trained by the state.
The initiative, announced by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Faruk Abubakar, targets doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and allied health workers, mandating them to serve in rural health facilities upon graduation.
This move, he said, is a strategic effort to bridge the health worker gap in underserved communities.
He stressed that the move follows a needs assessment that highlighted the imbalance in health personnel distribution across the state.
“Too many of our professionals are concentrated in urban centres, while rural areas suffer from a dire lack of qualified personnel.
“This policy is designed to correct that imbalance,” Abubakar said.
The commissioner emphasised that the rural postings would not come without incentives, stating that each health worker deployed under the scheme will receive a 10 per cent salary bonus, access to upgraded health infrastructure, and enhanced security measures.
“We’re not just sending people to rural communities; we’re making those places attractive to work in,” Abubakar added.
“Our goal is to motivate them to stay even after their mandatory service period.”
He added, “The policy is part of a broader health sector reform agenda under Governor Ahmad Aliyu’s administration, aimed at revamping the state’s ailing healthcare system.
“One of the standout achievements of the administration is the alignment of salaries for state-employed medical personnel with those paid at the federal level—a move that has been widely praised by medical professionals and organised labour.”
The commissioner said that since the implementation of the new salary structure, several medical workers who had previously submitted resignation letters have withdrawn them, opting to remain in service due to improved welfare conditions.
“These reforms are not just fixing today’s problems; they are laying a sustainable foundation for a healthier, more equitable future for Sokoto State,” Abubakar said. #Sokoto
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