Japa: Enrolment in Medical and Nursing Schools Surges to 64,000 – Minister

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, announced on Friday that the annual enrolment quota in medical, nursing, and other health professional schools has been increased from 28,000 to 64,000.

Prof. Pate made this statement during a sectoral ministerial press briefing in Abuja, marking President Bola Tinubu’s first anniversary in office.

“This is just the first step. The education sector must play its role, and the states need to improve infrastructure, training, and tools to produce more healthcare workers. We need to produce more to compensate for those we are losing, ensuring we can serve the country’s population,” he stated.

Regarding Primary Health Care Centres, the minister noted that at least 1,400 centres can now provide skilled birth attendants. He mentioned that more than 2,400 health workers, including doctors, nurses, and midwives, are being recruited to deliver essential health services in rural areas.

Prof. Pate also highlighted that the Federal Government has disbursed the first tranche of N25 billion from the Basic Health Care Provision Fund through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and the National Health Insurance Authority.

“We set a condition that states must comply with fiduciary guidelines to access these funds, addressing previously observed lapses to ensure resources benefit Nigerians. Twenty-three states have received these funds, and the remaining states are close to completing the requirements to access their financing for PHCs,” he added.

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