The Ekiti State Government has begun the issuance of appointment letters to 1,522 newly recruited junior health workers to boost service delivery in its Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs) across the state.

The recruitment exercise, announced by the state government, is aimed at addressing the acute shortage of health personnel at the grassroots level and ensuring that all PHC facilities have adequate manpower to attend to residents.

According to the government, the newly recruited workers will be deployed to the 326 PHCs spread across the 177 wards in the 16 Local Government Areas of the state, to strengthen maternal, child and general healthcare services.

The initiative is part of Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s broader health sector reform, which includes the renovation of over 103 PHCs, procurement of medical commodities, and implementation of the Ulerawa Health Insurance Scheme to improve access to quality healthcare.

The state government disclosed that approval had earlier been secured for the replacement of over 1,500 health workers at an annual cost of N1.8 billion, noting that most of the beneficiaries will serve at the primary care level.

The recruitment comes after the engagement of 250 health workers in 2025, with 150 of them deployed directly to PHCs, and the recruitment of 300 community health vanguards to track pregnant women and link them to health facilities.

The government expressed optimism that the addition of the 1,522 junior health workers will significantly improve outpatient attendance, reduce maternal and infant mortality, and accelerate the state’s drive towards achieving Universal Health Coverage by 2030.