The Akwa Ibom branch of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has urged the state government to establish at least seven medical training centers to combat severe workforce shortages. During a media briefing in Uyo on Tuesday, NMA State Chairman Professor Aniekan Peter highlighted the ongoing struggle to fill healthcare positions.
Professor Peter pointed out that while teaching vacancies are easily filled, recent government attempts to hire 400 doctors fell short. He also noted that the state initially struggled to recruit 700 nurses until hiring criteria were adjusted. These challenges, he argued, demonstrate a critical need for local medical training.
While acknowledging Governor Umo Eno’s recent approval for the Akwa Ibom State University to launch a medical school, Peter described the effort as insufficient. He compared the state’s single proposed institution to others like Delta, which operates four. Peter insisted that medical education should be viewed as a form of economic empowerment, suggesting that existing state structures be repurposed into training facilities to reach the target of seven institutions.
