The Sokoto State Government has made it compulsory for all medical and auxiliary healthcare workers trained under its sponsorship to serve for two years in rural areas. This policy, which took effect recently, is aimed at fixing the long-standing issue of uneven staffing and improving access to healthcare in underserved parts of the state.
Dr. Faruku Wurno, the Sokoto State Commissioner for Health, disclosed this during an interview on Tuesday in Sokoto. He explained that the decision followed a comprehensive needs assessment which showed that many rural communities lacked adequate medical personnel, while most health workers were concentrated in urban centres.
According to Dr. Wurno, the new rule affects all doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and allied health professionals sponsored by the state. He said, “The policy mandates a minimum of two years of rural service for all medical and health workers who benefited from the state’s sponsorship.”
He said the state government is not only deploying workers to rural areas but also supporting them with additional incentives such as higher pay, better facilities, and improved security. “We are not just posting them to rural areas, we are also motivating them with better pay, improved facilities, and enhanced security support,” he said.
Dr. Wurno also mentioned that this new development had caught the attention of the education sector, which is now considering adopting a similar approach to solve teacher shortages in remote areas.
To further encourage compliance and boost staff morale, he said the state had approved a 10 per cent salary increase for health workers posted to rural areas. He added that the government was optimistic many workers would choose to remain in those areas beyond the compulsory two-year period, thanks to the improved working conditions and incentives.
“This rural deployment strategy is part of a broader effort by the administration of Governor Ahmad Aliyu to revamp Sokoto’s healthcare system,” he said.
The Commissioner further revealed that Sokoto State had begun paying its medical and health workers salaries that are now in line with the Federal Government scale. He noted that this change has been well received by organised labour and health professionals.
He said that since the welfare packages were improved, several healthcare professionals who had earlier resigned have now withdrawn their resignation letters, signaling a reversal of the brain drain trend previously affecting the state’s health sector.
Dr. Wurno stated that various professional bodies, including the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), had applauded the government’s dedication to staff welfare and expressed renewed trust in the administration.
“These reforms are laying the foundation for a stronger, more responsive healthcare system in Sokoto State,” he said.
