Gov. Fubara Approves N300m Grant For 389 Doctors On Residency Training

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has approved the disbursement of over N300 million in grants to 389 medical doctors in the State Civil Service undergoing residency training.

The released funds will cover the Residency Training Grant requirements for 2023 and 2024, with payments ranging from N800,000 to N900,000 per resident doctor per year.

According to a statement issued by the Government House Press Unit on Friday, a total of 215 resident doctors received funding for the year 2023, while 174 resident doctors in the state have already received training grants for 2024.

However, the Governor set a new record in terms of healthcare funding. With the milestone, residency training grants had only been paid twice in the previous 16 years, the last in 2018.

Governor Fubara has used the gesture to reaffirm his administration’s commitment to ensuring that the training initiative aimed at supporting the professional development of doctors, both junior and senior residency cadres, is not stalled due to a lack of the necessary grants that serve as long-term incentives to health personnel.

The move also demonstrates that Governor Fubara sees comprehensive support for residency training as a strategic investment in improving the capacity of healthcare personnel, which will eventually improve the quality of healthcare services available to Rivers residents in the health sector.

Fubara expressed his belief that with such support from his administration, medical doctors will be diligent in completing residency training, an essential stage of graduate medical education, to acquire the competence required to provide the best service while working for the state government.

Dr. Adaeze Chidinma Oreh, Commissioner for Health, acknowledged the importance of the course updates and components in the capacity of personnel to address the challenges in quality healthcare delivery in the state.

Dr. Oreh said, “These are essential for doctors to stay current with the latest medical knowledge and practices, ensuring they can provide the best possible care to patients.”

“Research is an important part of medical education, and these funds help cover the expenses associated with developing and presenting research proposals and dissertations.

“Travel to examination centres can also be costly, particularly for doctors stationed throughout the state. This funding ensures that transportation costs do not impede their ability to attend necessary examinations, which are typically held outside the state and, in some cases, outside the country,” she added.

Dr. Oreh went on to discuss the burden examination fees place on medical personnel, stating, “The examination fees for the Parts I and II residency exams are very expensive, and by covering these fees, the government ensures that financial constraints do not prevent doctors from advancing in their careers.”

She thanked the governor for prioritising the welfare needs of healthcare workers, stating that the governor’s proactive action and political will to address critical issues impeding human capacity development were admirable.

The commissioner emphasised that Governor Fubara’s gesture, after only one year in office, will ultimately result in better health outcomes for Rivers residents in particular, and Nigerians in general.