( Abdullah Bego) Damaturu
The Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) Yobe State, which comprises of professional health associations, has conferred a merit award on H.E Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam as “Best Health Sector Reformer” in the state.
The award ceremony took place today at the Yobe Cultural Centre, Damaturu.
The JOHESU affiliate associations include the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Physiotherapists Association of Nigeria, National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria and the Association of Radiographers of Nigeria.
State Chairman of JOHESU Comrade Abdulaziz Usman said health workers in the state deeply appreciate the effort of Governor Gaidam in transforming the healthcare sector.
“These professional health associations…advocate for continuous development of the health sector, which to our happiness and great admiration is already being effectively championed by His Excellency Governor Gaidam”, Comrade Abdulaziz Usman said.
The JOHESU chairman lauded the infrastructural development in the sector, saying they are unprecedented and “have placed Governor Gaidam amongst the highly rated governors in the country”.
“As major stakeholders, JOHESU is at a vantage position to really tell the story of the genuine restructuring that has taken place in the (state’s) health sector”, he said.
The JOHESU chairman also lauded the governor for the recruitment of more health professionals in the state’s health service as well as the upward review and 100% implementation of the CONHESS salary structure for JOHESU members and the CONMESS scale for doctors.
Comrade Usman said the 100% CONHESS/CONMESS implementation by the Gaidam administration is a “show of total commitment to the development of the health sector and a policy approach geared at alleviating the suffering of the common man in society”.
The JOHESU chairman explained that the award conferred on the governor is meant to motivate him to do more for the health sector and the state in general.
He called on other state governors to emulate Gaidam “because”, he added, “t is our belief that the greatest dividend of democracy should be in the health sector”.
In his acceptance speech, H.E Gov. Gaidam thanked JOHESU for the honour done to him.
He noted that before the advert of his administration, Yobe’s healthcare sector was beset by “gross inadequacy of infrastructural facilities, equipment and human resources”.
“We took far-reaching measures to address these challenges. We have also collaborated with our development partners such as WHO, UNICEF, Women for Health, Bill and Melinda Gates and Dangote Foundations, the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency to achieve our overall objectives”, he said.
Governor Gaidam assured JOHESU that his administration will continue to invest massively in the healthcare sector and accord a special priority status to it.
