The Edo State Government has commenced the recruitment process for the employment of over 700 healthcare practitioners to strengthen its primary healthcare system in line with ongoing reforms in the health sector by the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration.

The Executive Secretary, Edo State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Omosigho Izedonmwen, while addressing journalists during the computer-based test held at the Edo State Secretariat Complex, Benin City, said about 720 professionals including doctors, nurses, community extension workers, and administrators, among others, will be recruited.

He said, “We are bringing onboard about 720 people into the primary healthcare development agency. The recruitment cuts across the full spectrum of the staffing crew, including doctors, nurses, community extension workers, and administrators, among others.

“This computer-based test is the first stage of the recruitment process. As part of the criteria, they must be computer literate because the primary healthcare development agency will be driven by technology.”

The Executive Secretary added, “Those who beat the threshold will, one week from now, go for an oral interview and will be placed in at most 3 weeks' time. So, the target is to get them on board towards the end of April.”

Reassuring the government’s commitment to strengthening the primary healthcare system to deliver equitable, efficient, and quality health services to Edo people, Izedonmwen noted, “We already have 497 primary healthcare centers in Edo State and this administration is committed to having at least one functional primary health center in one ward to make a total of at least 192 fully functional centers with all the infrastructures, technology, personnel and resources readily available.”