By Frank Ulom
Calabar, Nigeria – The workforce in the health system of Cross River State is becoming increasingly low following recent data – 23 doctors and 79 nurses and midwives.
Accordingly, the population of the state is over 3 million, with the state capital, Calabar, having the most. Imagine only 23 doctors and 79 nurses and midwives taking care of over 3 million people.
Yearly, the University of Calabar (UNICAL) churns out hundreds of doctors and nurses, the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) School of Nursing and the four Cross River State Colleges of Nursing Sciences and Midwifery churn out thousands of nurses and midwives. Where do they all go? What’s their employment status?
Equating the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) of one health worker to four patients, you’ll surely know that Cross Riverians are not enjoying quality healthcare. UCH is the right of every person to access quality health services without financial hardship. It’s a key part of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG Goal 3.8).
With that being said, do you know that the state’s health budget for 2025 is over N27 billion (N24.9 billion for the state and N2.8 billion for the National Assembly)? The state has 196 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) and over 10 Secondary Health facilities.
The State’s 2025 budget for health is N24,935,208,471, excluding the budget for the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency and others.
Meanwhile, the combined budget of constituency health projects in the 2025 budget for members of the National Assembly (NASS) from the State is, N2,828,000,000.
- Senator Eteng Jones – N150 million
- Hon. Joseph Bassey – N130 million
- Hon. Peter Akpanke – N50 million
- Hon. Godwin Offiono – N200 million
- Senator Jarigbe Agom – N1.13 billion
- Hon. Bassey Akiba – N443 million
- Hon. Emil Inyang – N175 million
- Hon. Alex Egbuna – N550 million
“If you combine the State’s health budget and the National Assembly member’s budget for health, it is equal to N27,763,208,471 (over twenty-seven billion in one year alone.)
“Even if only fifty per cent of the budgeted figures are intentionally implemented within one or two budget cycles, I am very, very confident that the impact will leave no one in doubt. Many of our health challenges in the State will be behind us.
“Yet, with all the humongous figures, we have only 23 doctors under the unemployment of the Cross River State Government; including the Commissioner for Health. The 23 doctors have issued a strike notice, complaining that they are the least paid among their colleagues. We have only 79 nurses and midwives in at least 196 primary health facilities across Cross River State.
“The paradox of all these is that those who share these big sums amongst themselves prefer to walk into the decrepit health centres without manpower or drugs and dish out money to pay emergency health bills for political capital instead of fixing the health centres. Yet, the people remain incapable of asking where these huge sums are,” says Citizen Agba Jalingo, Activist and former Chairman of the African Action Congress (AAC) in Cross River State.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Henry Ayuk, confirmed last year that most of the nurses and midwives were to retire in August 2024.
Ayuk, who was addressing UNICAL nursing graduands during the 10th Induction/Oath Taking Ceremony of Nursing Science Graduands on 11th March 2024, noted that the state was lacking in human resources as he pleaded with the nurses not to seek greenerpastureses overseas.
“The most important challenge we have in Cross River State is the management of human resources. By August [2024], most of the nurses will be retiring. The state is willing to employ.
“Please, nurses, don’t be scared of working anywhere, let’s copy the ethics that govern the profession. We have a new Governor, he is a sweet governor. We are aware that the condition of service is not very good, we’re working on that. When you graduate, be assured that Cross River State will employ anybody who comes in, whether doctors, nurses, medical laboratory scientists, etc.
“Please don’t japa. We’re encouraged by what the nursing profession can offer. It is the pillar of our well-being. We currently have four Colleges of Nursing, come and work for us,” Ayuk said.
