Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State has warned foreign doctors working in the state to regularise their registration with the appropriate Nigerian supervisory agencies or risk losing their jobs.
This, the Governor said, becomes necessary so as to streamline the activities of all the foreign doctors and ensure they are qualified to practice in Nigeria.
Speaking when he received members of the Sokoto State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in his office, Tambuwal said the government will henceforth recruit foreign doctors only when it becomes absolutely necessary.
He said the priority will be to recruit Nigerian doctors who he said are qualified and know the medical terrain well.
Tambuwal said the government will upgrade facilities at the state specialist hospital to enable it render residency services to medical students in the state.
He also promised to recruit more health workers across the state.
While urging the doctors to work with the government to professionalise the health sector in the state, Tambuwal promised to ensure that only qualified health personnel are in the employ of the government.
He pleaded with the NMA to consider the precarious financial situation of the country while making demands for increased pay, saying government will consider cases based on merit.
Earlier in his remarks, NMA chairman in the state, Dr. Abdulgaffar Jimoh, urged the government to overhaul the entire health sector with a view to meeting the medical needs of the populace.
The chairman lamented the low level of health personnel working in the state, and urged the government to recruit more health workers to ease the burden on existing staff.
