Gov. Otu Approves Recruitment of 40 Doctors to Strengthen Cross River's 17 Public Hospitals

Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu has approved the recruitment of 40 additional medical doctors to strengthen healthcare delivery across the state's 17 public hospitals. The Cross River State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Ayuk, disclosed this in Calabar on Monday, saying the recruitment is part of the administration's ongoing efforts to improve access to quality healthcare services and address the shortage of medical personnel in government health facilities.

According to the commissioner, the recruitment will comprise 20 Medical Officers, 10 Senior Medical Officers, and 10 Consultant Medical Specialists. He said the vacancies would be advertised, while the recruitment exercise would be conducted by the Cross River State Civil Service Commission in line with established procedure

Ayuk stated that the newly recruited doctors would benefit from the implementation of the 100 per cent Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), recently approved by Governor Otu for medical officers in the state's public service. He noted that the enhanced remuneration package is expected to improve the welfare of medical personnel, attract qualified professionals into the state's health workforce, and strengthen the retention of skilled doctors.

The commissioner explained that the recruitment is expected to ensure that each of the state's 17 public hospitals has an average of three to four medical doctors, thereby improving the quality, efficiency, and accessibility of healthcare services.

The recruitment is the latest in a series of initiatives by the Otu administration aimed at repositioning the state's health sector. The governor's reforms have been described as among the most sweeping healthcare interventions seen in Cross River State in decades, touching on manpower, infrastructure, institutional governance, and patient welfare.

Governor Otu had earlier lifted a 13-year embargo on health worker recruitment, hiring over 700 health workers to strengthen Cross River's healthcare system, after the administration met a health sector "suffering from a shock" following 13 years without recruitment during which many professionals retired, migrated, or died.

Beyond the recruitment embargo lift, Governor Otu also approved a 100 per cent salary increase for doctors, boosted healthcare funding by over 100 per cent, and approved the recruitment of 2,000 health workers to improve medical services across the state.

Governor Otu assented to the Cross River State Hospital Management Board Law 2026, which creates a central body to oversee public secondary health facilities and introduces management committees for general hospitals. The law also provides for the regulation and registration of traditional medical practitioners, bringing them under the supervision of the Ministry of Health to ensure improved service delivery.

The government has also released funds for the renovation of General Hospital, Ukem, and Cottage Hospital, Oban, as well as the commencement of civil works at the abandoned General Hospital complex in Akpabuyo.

The commissioner dismissed claims that the health sector had been neglected, maintaining that the Otu administration has increased funding to healthcare by more than 100 per cent since assuming office, noting that the increased investment has improved service delivery and laid a solid foundation for the ongoing transformation of secondary and tertiary health institutions.

The administration is also investing heavily in manpower development through the establishment and accreditation of four Colleges of Nursing, with plans to produce globally competitive Bachelor of Nursing graduates, while a proposed Specialist Hospital would lay the foundation for the state's Medical College to train doctors and other healthcare professionals locally.

The latest approval of 40 doctors comes at a time when public confidence in Cross River State's healthcare system is gradually being rebuilt after years of neglect. By combining manpower recruitment with competitive salaries, hospital infrastructure rehabilitation, and institutional governance reform, the Otu administration is pursuing a comprehensive approach that addresses both the supply and quality dimensions of the healthcare crisis simultaneously.

Ayuk assured residents that all healthcare facilities in the state would benefit from the government's reform agenda, which seeks to build a modern, efficient, and accessible healthcare system for all Cross Riverians.

Healthcare advocates have welcomed the development but also called for sustained implementation, warning that the gains achieved through the current reforms could be reversed if funding commitments are not maintained and if the recruitment exercise is conducted with transparency and merit as the guiding principles.

The governor's consistent focus on healthcare, which has also included the preeclampsia awareness campaign, the MAMII maternal health initiative, the deployment of 18 ultrasound machines across all 18 local government areas, and the completion of a kidney dialysis centre in Ogoja, is positioning Cross River State as one of the most proactive states in Nigeria in addressing its public health challenges.