The Oyo State Government has announced the recruitment of 3,000 health workers to bolster its primary healthcare centers (PHCs) across the state.
This initiative aligns with the state’s policy of ensuring that each political ward in Oyo State has at least one fully functional primary healthcare facility.
Dr. Muideen Olatunji, the Executive Secretary of the Oyo State Primary Healthcare Board, made the announcement during a media briefing. He emphasized that the recruitment drive is part of the state’s broader strategy to enhance primary healthcare service delivery.
Flanked by key members of the board’s management team, including Dr. Olayemi Osoko, Dr. Sunday Adewole, Mr. Kehinde Olabode, Dr. Segun Dauda, and Mrs. Olasumbo Azeez, Dr. Olatunji disclosed that the job application portal would be reopened within a week. This reopening aims to finalize the recruitment process that began in 2021.
“You may recall that we initiated the renovation and upgrade of primary healthcare facilities across the 351 political wards in the state. The goal has always been to have at least one functional healthcare facility in each ward,” Dr. Olatunji stated. “To date, over 200 facilities have been completed, with the remainder expected to be finished in the coming months. Additionally, 264 facilities have recently received new equipment to further enhance their services.”
However, Dr. Olatunji stressed that infrastructure alone is not enough. “Regardless of the level of upgrading or re-engineering, without the necessary human resources, these facilities cannot operate effectively. Hence, the government is moving forward with the recruitment of healthcare professionals across the 33 local government areas,” he said.
The recruitment process, which began in 2021, has seen 16,035 applicants on the job portal. From this pool, 3,000 candidates will be selected following a Computer-Based Test (CBT) examination. Dr. Olatunji assured that the selection process would be completed within the next two months.
“This marks the first significant recruitment into the primary care sector in over 20 years. With the governor’s commitment, we intend to continue this process until we bridge the health workforce gap,” he added.
This recruitment initiative represents a significant step in Oyo State’s efforts to revitalize its healthcare system and improve access to quality medical services for its citizens.
