For ongoing residency training, 389 medical doctors in the State Civil Service will receive over N300 million grant, as approved by Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The funding will span two years, 2023-2024, with each resident doctor receiving annual payments ranging from 800,000 to 900,000 naira.
In 2023, 215 resident doctors benefitted from the grant, while 174 have been funded in 2024, according to the government.
This initiative signifies a significant progress in healthcare funding during Governor Fubara’s leadership, as residency training grants have only been distributed twice in the past 16 years, with the most recent allocation occurring in 2018.
In a statement released by the Rivers State Government House Press Unit on Friday, Governor Fubara stressed that this support is intended to “enhance the commitment and efficiency of resident doctors during their crucial training phase, which is vital for acquiring the necessary skills for delivering top-quality medical care while serving in the state.”
In praising the initiative, State Commissioner for Health, Dr Adaeze Chidinma Oreh, highlighted the importance of updated training in enhancing healthcare personnel’s ability to address challenges and enhance healthcare delivery quality in the state.
Dr Oreh expressed, “Continuous training is crucial for doctors to remain current with the latest medical knowledge and practices, enabling them to offer optimal care to patients.”
“Research plays a key role in medical training, and these funds help defray the costs related to developing and presenting research proposals and dissertations,” she added.
She further mentioned the funding’s assistance in covering travel expenses to examination centers, particularly for doctors stationed across various parts of the state.
“For these exams, usually held outside the state and in some cases, outside the country, this funding ensures that transportation costs do not hinder their ability to participate in necessary examinations,” she elaborated.
The commissioner underlined that Governor Fubara’s gesture, within just a year in office, will ultimately lead to improved health outcomes for the people of Rivers and Nigerians in general.