Yobe Boosts Healthcare:  Government employs 2,500 workers, upgrades five hospitals to specialist status

Yobe Boosts Healthcare:  Government employs 2,500 workers, upgrades five hospitals to specialist status

Njadvara Musa, Damaturu 

The Yobe State Government has taken a major step toward strengthening its healthcare delivery system by employing 2,500 health workers and upgrading five General Hospitals to Specialist Healthcare Facilities (SHFT) across the state.

The Executive Secretary of the Yobe Hospitals Management Board (YOHMB), Dr Abubakar Yerima, announced this during an inspection tour and media briefing at the newly upgraded Specialist Hospital, Buni-Yadi, located in Gujba Local Government Area.

He stated that the other upgraded facilities are located in the state capital, Gashua, Potiskum, Geidam, and Damaturu.

“Upgrading these general hospitals to specialist level is expected to significantly improve access to specialised care, reduce unnecessary medical referrals outside the state, save lives and minimise long travel hours,” Yerima explained.

He noted that the initiative is part of a broader strategy that prioritises modern infrastructure, specialised labour, and improved staff welfare—with the goal of reducing medical tourism and preventing avoidable deaths.

State-of-the-Art Facilities

Dr Yerima disclosed that the government has constructed a new maternity complex, complete with a special care baby unit, to address high maternal and neonatal mortality. Additionally, a new Accident & Emergency (A&E) complex has been added to handle trauma cases, terrorism-related injuries, and road traffic accidents.

He added that the specialist hospitals are equipped with advanced twin-theatre and surgical complexes, with only one other facility in the state having a similar setup.

“We are focusing on high-volume centres that can serve as medical hubs for referrals from neighbouring communities, especially the more than 150 primary healthcare centres (PHCs) in the state,” he said.

Training and Manpower Development

The ES further revealed that about 70 healthcare workers are currently undergoing residency training to become specialist doctors. Others are being trained in dialysis, ICU care, perioperative services, and emergency nursing to deepen the state’s professional capacity.

Dr Yerima urged residents to patronise the specialist hospitals rather than relying on unregulated patent medicine stores within communities, assuring them that the upgraded facilities can now provide quality, specialised treatment closer to home.