In a bid to boost the healthcare sector, Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has approved the release of over N300 million as a grant to 389 medical doctors undergoing residency training in the State Civil Service. The grant, covering two years (2023-2024), aims to support the professional development of doctors, enhancing the quality of healthcare services in the state.
According to the governor, 215 resident doctors received funding for 2023, while 174 received the training grant in 2024. The grant, ranging from N800,000 to N900,000 per resident doctor per year, is a strategic investment in improving healthcare personnel capacity.
Governor Fubara emphasized the importance of supporting residency training at both the junior and senior residency cadres, an essential stage of graduate medical education, to enable doctors to acquire the necessary competence to offer quality services.
State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Adaeze Oreh, commended the governor’s commitment to healthcare personnel welfare, stating that the grant will help cover research costs, examination fees, and travel expenses, ensuring doctors can provide the best possible care to patients.
“These are essential for doctors to stay up to date on the latest medical knowledge and practices, ensuring they can provide the best possible care to patients.
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“Research is an important component of medical training, and these funds help cover the costs that come with developing and presenting research proposals and dissertations.
“Also, traveling to examination centers can be cost-intensive, especially for doctors stationed in various parts of the State. For these examinations which are usually held out of State, and in some cases, outside the country, this funding ensures that transportation costs do not hinder their ability to attend necessary examinations,” Oreh added.
She further expanded on the burden examination fees pose on medical personnel, saying: “The examination fees for the Parts I and II residency exams are expensive, and by covering these fees, the government ensures that financial constraints do not hamstring doctors or prevent them from advancing in their careers.”
Notably, Oreh thanked the governor for his proactive action, saying it will yield better health outcomes for Rivers people. It bears mentioning that this gesture, with little over a year into Fubara’s administration, demonstrates his dedication to addressing critical issues in human capacity development.
