Delta govt approves recruitment of 40 pharmacists in public hospitals

At least 40 pharmacists are to be employed by Delta State government in order to bridge the manpower deficiency of pharmaceutical personnel in government hospitals across the state.

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa gave the approval for the immediate recruitment of the pharmacists in public hospitals while playing host to the leadership and members of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Delta State Chapter, who paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Asaba.

According to Okowa, out of 64 government hospitals in the state, 39 had no pharmacists, stressing that no health facility could perform optimally without the professional input of a pharmacist.

He explained that despite the present global economic challenges, his administration would ensure that government hospitals in the state are fairly staffed to meet the health care needs of the people.

“If we have 40 pharmacists with 64 hospitals, we know that obviously, it is not right. I don’t see why we would allow the situation to degrade to that very level because I also know that recently, I gave approval for the Hospitals Management Board (HMB) to employ doctors and nurses and I don’t think that reasonable provision was made to employ pharmacists.

ALSO READ: Plateau High Court dismisses Mailafia application seeking to stop invitation

“Because for us to have 39 of our hospitals without even a single pharmacist in public hospitals obviously, it is not right and it ought not to be so.

“So, the Chairman of Hospitals Management Board, at least that one (the issue of shortage of pharmacists in government hospitals) I know I can attend to, I want a memo that will get to my table before the close of the week to employ 40 pharmacists.

On the alleged issue of harassment by some government agencies, he urged members of the society to take up the issue with the relevant agencies if they notice that what they (such agencies) were doing is not in line with the position of the law.

While saying that many Nigerians don’t pay tax, Governor Okowa harped on the need for Nigerians to always pay their taxes to enable the government to continue to perform its obligations to the people.

Governor Okowa pledged to look into all the issues presented to him with a view to addressing some of them for the overall good of residents of the state.

Earlier, the Delta State Chairman, Pharmaceuticals Society of Nigeria, Pharmacist (Dr.) Kenneth Otenne outlined challenges inhibiting the professional body in the state to include a shortage of pharmacists in government hospitals; denial of internship of the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, (DELSUTH) Oghara and other state hospitals.

Others, he said, include the absence of accommodation for pharmacists on internship and non-inclusion of pharmacists in the running of the primary health care as well as contributory health insurance scheme among others.

The highlight of the visit was the presentation of an award of excellence in the health sector to Governor Okowa by members of the society.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE