Members of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, have appealed to the state government to initiate special scholarship for indigenes of the state studying medicine and other science related courses.
This, the assembly said, would go a long way in boosting the capacity of the state indigenous doctors, pharmacists and other health professionals who will have interest in the health condition of the people of the state.
The Speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi, made the call after the Chairman, House Committee on Health, Hon Usman- Labaran Shafa, raised the issue under matters of public interest during the House proceedings in Lafia on Tuesday.
He said that if the state government encouraged the indigenous students to study medicine and other science related courses through provision of special scholarship, it will go a long way in addressing a lot of problems associated with health workers strike in the state.
“I want to thank Hon Shafa, the mover of this motion and all of you for contributing positively on this important matter of the health of our people.
“When I heard about the strike embarked upon by health workers in the state and all our local government council, I immediately directed the House Committees on Health and Local government respectively to intervene and resolve all their differences amicably.
“The health workers at the local government level suspended their strike by reasoning with us as most of them are our indigenes while those at the state level refused to suspend their strike despite the House intervention.
“Our fathers, the traditional rulers also intervened and the state government through the Deputy Governor who is their colleague also spoke to them severally on the matter, but they refused.
“I am not saying that doctors and other health workers should not be given what belongs to them or that they should not pursue their rights, I am saying that they should be considerate and have human feeling as they took oath to protect lives and strike should be the last option not first option,” the Speaker said.
Ibrahimn Balarabe advised the state government, to, as a matter of urgency, initiate the establishment of medical school in the state, particularly at the state owned university in Keffi, and to encourage indigenous students to read medicine and other science related courses to serve residents of the state.
He, thereafter, directed the Clerk of the House to communicate the resolution to the state governor for action.
Earlier, Hon Usman- Labaran Shafa (APC-Toto Gadabuke) the Chairman, House Committee on Health while moving the motion appealed to his colleagues to support his motion to enable the state government train indigenes in medicine and other science related courses.
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