A memorandum of Understanding MOU has been signed by the Katsina State local government service commission and a non-governmental organisation ,Women for Health (W4H) to address the shortage of health personnel especially women at the Primary Health Centers across the state.
National Program officer W4H , Dr. Fatima Adamu said the program was conceived to improve maternal and neonatal death in rural areas by training health workers who will be redeployed to areas in demand of such personnel.
According to her, the DFID funded program is an intervention that is operated in five states namely Jigawa, Kano, Katsina , Yobe and Zamfara adding that a total of 237 midwives in rural areas are being supported to enhance their retention in hard to reach areas.
Of the number, 56 are being paid their salaries and 181 are receiving allowances that ranges from 10, 000 to 20,000, she added.
The state commissioner of Health represented by the Permanent Secretary Dr Kabir Mustapha decried health workers attitude to rural posting saying that over concentration of health workers in urban centres is not a good omen.