Seventeen trainees under Cohort One of the National Health Fellows Programme have graduated after completing a one-year community healthcare training programme and are set to strengthen healthcare delivery across Enugu State.
Key Highlights
- 17 National Health Fellows graduated after one year of community healthcare training.
- The trainees will be deployed across more than 260 primary healthcare centres in Enugu State.
- Each of Enugu’s 17 local government areas produced one trainee under the programme.
- The fellows will monitor healthcare service delivery, staff commitment, drug availability and quality of care.
Enugu State has commenced another one-year training programme for 17 youths under Cohort Two.
The National Health Fellows Programme is a Federal Government initiative implemented under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative through the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAP) Coordination Office of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
Presenting certificates to the graduating fellows in Enugu on Wednesday, Governor Peter Mbah commended President Bola Tinubu for initiating and supporting the programme as part of efforts to improve healthcare delivery across the country.
Mbah, represented by the Commissioner for Labour and Employment, Dr Felix Nnamani, said the programme demonstrated the Federal Government’s commitment to improving healthcare services, particularly in rural communities where a large proportion of Nigerians live.
He also commended the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for implementing the training and called for stronger collaboration between the federal and state governments in healthcare manpower development and the provision of essential amenities.
“This event is a clear commitment of Federal and Enugu State Governments to address the gap in healthcare service delivery, especially in healthcare workers’ attitudinal change to ensure better outcomes for Nigerians, especially residents of the state,” he said.
The governor said the state government had expanded its healthcare interventions to the ward and community levels, making the deployment of trained fellows important to ensuring that residents receive quality healthcare services regardless of their location.
He congratulated the graduating fellows and urged them to remain focused, dedicated and committed to serving the people.
Fellows to Monitor 260 Primary Healthcare Centres
The Enugu State Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu, said the graduating fellows had received training designed to strengthen healthcare resilience and improve service delivery and outcomes.
Ugwu said the fellows would be deployed across more than 260 primary healthcare centres located at ward and community levels in the state.
According to him, their responsibilities will include monitoring staff commitment and punctuality, quality of healthcare services, availability of drugs and basic medical consumables, among other areas.
“As a ministry, we appreciate President Tinubu and Gov. Mbah for ensuring all we do in our health system and facilities within the state are linked with the national through these graduating trainees who will raise the red flags,” Ugwu said.
He added that the Federal Government had already engaged the fellows into the civil service, while the state government would provide additional support within available resources to enable them to carry out their responsibilities effectively.
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Programme Trains Young Health Professionals
Earlier, the SWAP Desk Officer in the Enugu State Ministry of Health, Mrs Ujunwa Ewoh, said the National Health Fellows Programme was designed to strengthen leadership, management capacity and accountability within Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Ewoh said the programme trained one young health professional from each of the 17 local government areas in Enugu State.
“The programme has trained young health professionals, one from each of the 17 council areas in the state, who would work closely with state and local healthcare systems and facilities to ensure prompt and quality service delivery,” she said.
She explained that the trainees underwent intensive training in leadership and people management, public health and health service delivery, financial management and data management, among other areas.
Enugu Launches Cohort Two
Goodwill messages were delivered by the Executive Secretary of the Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Ifeyinwa Ani-Osheku, and the Executive Secretary of the Enugu State Universal Health Insurance Scheme, Dr Edith Okolo, among others.
The highlight of the event was the unveiling by Governor Mbah of another 17 youths drawn from the 17 local government areas of the state for Cohort Two of the National Health Fellowship Programme.
The new beneficiaries are expected to undergo another one-year intensive community healthcare training as part of efforts to strengthen primary healthcare delivery and improve health outcomes across Enugu State.
