By Opeyemi Adelakun
The Ondo State Health Management Board has rejected criticisms reportedly raised by the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, insisting that the recent recruitment exercise in the state’s health sector followed established professional procedures.
The acting chairman of the board, Dr Akeredolu O.N., said the association’s position did not fully reflect what transpired during the recruitment exercise.
Akeredolu, in a statement reported by Ondo Chronicles, explained that the recruitment and screening of nurses and midwives were handled by the Director of Nursing Services and her deputy, whom he described as the two most senior nursing officers within the board.
He said the arrangement was part of an effort to ensure that the recruitment of health professionals was handled by officials with the relevant professional expertise.
According to him, the same approach was applied to other categories of health workers, with pharmacists and pharmacy technicians screened through the Director of Pharmacy, while health information managers were handled by the relevant director.
He added that recruitment involving nursing personnel and medical doctors was similarly carried out through their respective professional structures, although all remained subject to the supervision of the board.
Akeredolu said the professionals required by the board were recruited after obtaining the necessary approval from Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
He also challenged the chairman of the nurses’ association, Mr Orobode, to identify any recently recruited health professional by the board who was not posted to the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, or one of its annexes.
The acting chairman further defended the state government’s intervention in strengthening the health workforce, saying more than 172 nursing staff and nearly 150 intern nurses had been employed through the Health Management Board.
He said the workers were being paid under the federal salary structures recently approved by the state government, describing the development as unprecedented in the Ondo State health sector.
Akeredolu also disclosed that Governor Aiyedatiwa had approved the establishment of a School of Nursing in Ilaje Local Government Area for the training of nurses.
He said the approval addressed a long-standing demand by stakeholders in the nursing profession for increased opportunities for professional training within the state.
The acting chairman assured health-sector associations that the government would continue to engage them in the administration and development of the sector.
He pointed to the composition of the Health Management Board as evidence of the administration’s commitment to professional representation, saying relevant health professions were represented on the board.
Akeredolu urged the nurses’ association to acknowledge the government’s efforts to expand the health workforce and improve opportunities for professional training in Ondo State.
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