Health
Gombe rallies resident doctors to strengthen health system
The Gombe State Government on Tuesday urged resident doctors across the country to take the lead in strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system through professionalism, collaboration, and practical reforms.
The Deputy Governor, Manassah Jatau, made the call at the opening of the 2026 National Executive Council meeting of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors held in Gombe.
Jatau described quality healthcare as the bedrock of sustainable development, saying the state government remained committed to improving healthcare delivery through sustained investment and partnerships.
“We are out to ensure that we develop and not witness growth because once your standard of living is not improving, you are just growing,” he said.
He noted that the increasing population in Gombe had placed greater pressure on public healthcare facilities, making the sector one of the state’s top priorities after security.
The deputy governor stressed that the government alone could not address the country’s healthcare challenges.
“Health is too important to be handled without partnership, without support, without collaboration, without adherence to the feedback mechanism,” he said.
Speaking on the conference theme, “Strengthening Healthcare Systems: Resident Doctors at the Forefront,” Jatau urged participants to ensure that resolutions reached at the meeting would contribute to improving healthcare delivery nationwide.
“As resident doctors at the forefront of healthcare delivery, your resolutions should improve Nigeria’s healthcare system and the well-being of its citizens,” he said.
He also urged doctors to pay closer attention to the social and cultural factors affecting healthcare delivery, particularly maternal and child health in Northern Nigeria.
Earlier, the President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, Dr Mohammad Usman Suleiman, expressed concern over the continued migration of Nigerian doctors abroad in search of better working conditions.
He said the country had over 25,000 doctors in 2012 but now had fewer than 12,000, while the number of consultants had dropped from about 15,000 to between 5,000 and 6,000.
“Nigeria had over 25,000 doctors in 2012, but today we have fewer than 12,000. The number of consultants has also dropped from about 15,000 to between 5,000 and 6,000,” Suleiman said.
According to him, the conference was organised to draw the government’s attention to the challenges confronting the health sector and encourage policy actions to improve healthcare delivery.
“The purpose of this conference is to draw the government’s attention to these realities and stimulate action toward improving Nigeria’s healthcare system,” he added.
Explaining why Gombe was selected to host the conference, Suleiman commended Governor Inuwa Yahaya for prioritising the health sector.
“The choice of Gombe State for the July 2026 conference is because the governor listens and attends to the needs of the health sector. I have travelled to some states for similar activities, but it is only in Gombe that we have the Chief Executive seated among us. We are grateful and encourage you to maintain the spirit,” he said.
The event also featured goodwill messages from the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Danladi Bojude; Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Habu Dahiru; and the Chief Medical Director of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, Prof. Yusuf Abdullahi, who all urged stakeholders to work towards reversing the migration of medical professionals and strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system.
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