The Bauchi State Executive Council, SEC, has approved a 100 per cent salary increase for medical and healthcare workers across the state, with particular emphasis on personnel serving in rural and hard-to-reach communities.
The Commissioner for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Sani Dambam, disclosed this while briefing journalists following an extraordinary meeting of the State Executive Council held over the weekend.
Dr Dambam said the new salary structure would be supported by the introduction of special allowances for health workers posted outside local government headquarters, aimed at improving service delivery in underserved areas.
He also revealed that the council had approved the implementation of outstanding promotions for more than 2,000 healthcare workers in the state.
According to the commissioner, the decisions followed the recommendations of a special committee constituted to assess the financial implications of a revised scheme of service for healthcare workers.
“The outcome of the committee’s work is a 100 per cent review of the existing scheme, which represents one of the most significant welfare packages ever approved for the health sector in Bauchi State,” he said.
Dr Dambam explained that the measures were designed to retain skilled medical personnel, boost morale, and strengthen healthcare delivery, particularly in rural communities.
He added that specific allowances, including outside-posting allowances, were approved to encourage doctors and other health workers to accept and remain in postings outside metropolitan areas.
Health workers under the State Primary Healthcare Development Board, he noted, will also benefit from the allowances, thereby ending long-standing disparities in welfare benefits within the sector.
The commissioner further disclosed that the council had approved access to car and housing loans for doctors and healthcare workers as part of efforts to ease their financial burden and improve their quality of life.
To enhance accountability and efficiency, he said biometric and verification systems would be introduced across health facilities in the state.
Meanwhile, the State Executive Council has approved N900 million for the recapitalisation of Yankari Savings and Loans. The Chief Economic Adviser to Governor Bala Mohammed, Alhaji Yahuza Adamu Ningi, made this known while briefing journalists on the outcome of the council meeting.
According to him, the recapitalisation became necessary due to the strategic importance of the financial institution to the state’s economy.
“The sum of N900 million approved by the state government will not only stabilise the bank but also enable it to expand its operations and contribute more effectively to the economic wellbeing of Bauchi State through regular banking services,” Ningi said.