Abia to recruit more healthcare workers, plans 35th anniversary celebration
Ogbonnaya Ikokwu, Umuahia
The Abia State government announced plans to recruit more health personnel in the state Ministry of Health.
The commissioner for Information in the state in the state Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this on Monday while briefing journalists on the outcome of this week’s state executive council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.
He stated the new phase of recruitment will focus on medical officers, dental officers, consultants on full-time and part-time.
He said, “In line with the ongoing reforms, the State Civil Service Commission will commence recruitment of more healthcare professionals tonight. At the last count, 742 medical personnel had been hired.
“This new phase will focus on medical officers, dental officers, consultants — both full-time and part-time. Interested candidates have been urged to apply.”
The commissioner also revealed that the health sector reforms of the Otti’s administration has continued to draw international recognition, with the state rated number one in healthcare affordability and among the top three in quality healthcare delivery nationwide.
He disclosed that the rating was contained in a recent report by Philips Consulting and SBI which also ranked Abia as the only state to place in the top three across 16 indicators of good governance, based on citizens’ perception.
“The ranking and recognition by Philips Consulting serves as an independent validation of the impressive transformation recorded so far in the state’s health sector”, he said.
Kanu added that the Ministry of Health has piloted a digital application, “CYTrack” to identify and track high-risk and teenage pregnancies in order to reduce maternal and child mortality.
According to him, “The app has been used successfully to monitor such pregnancies up to delivery.
“The state has also recorded gains from the functionalization of Basic Health Centres. Data from July 2025 to June 2026 show that the first 50 functionalized PHCs accounted for over 20% of 1.067 million Out-Patient Department, OPD, visits and deliveries.
“Between July 27 and date, three additional PHCs were made functional, bringing the total to 151, up from 148. Another 25 equipped PHCs are scheduled for functionalization within the next three weeks.
The commissioner also said that
enrolment in the state health insurance scheme rose from 233,000 to 237,000 between July 27 and August 7.
“To strengthen the scheme, the Abiriba Community Improvement Union, North America Charter, has committed to sponsoring over 1,000 indigent persons under the informal sector. The state government calls on other communities and groups to emulate the gesture.
“The state recorded no outbreak of diseases of public health importance within the period. These include Ebola, Lassa fever, COVID-19, Diphtheria, Cholera, Mpox and Yellow Fever”, he added.
On infrastructure, Kanu said the Ministry of Housing has been directed to sanitise the World Bank Housing Estate at Abayi Umucham in Aba and carry out remedial works, including road rehabilitation.
He pointed out that the ministry will also collaborate with the Ministry of Works to carry out rainy season maintenance on Amauba Estate roads to improve accessibility ahead of permanent construction, adding that new transformer has also been provided for the estate to address power challenges.
The commissioner equally announced that the state will celebrate the 35th anniversary of its creation this month with projects slated for commissioning include the Obingwa General Hospital, and the Cottage Hospital at Amamba Estate.
“It promises to be a week-long celebration that will further give major impetus to the transformation journey of the Alex Otti-led administration,” he said.