The Abia State Government has announced plans to recruit additional healthcare professionals into the state Ministry of Health as part of its ongoing reforms in the sector.

The Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, disclosed this on Monday while briefing journalists on the outcome of the week’s State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.

Kanu said the next phase of recruitment would target medical officers, dental officers and consultants for both full-time and part-time appointments.

“In line with the ongoing reforms, the State Civil Service Commission will commence recruitment of more healthcare professionals tonight. At the last count, 742 medical personnel had been hired.

“This new phase will focus on medical officers, dental officers, consultants — both full-time and part-time. Interested candidates have been urged to apply,” he said.

Abia health reforms gain recognition

The commissioner also disclosed that the health sector reforms under the Otti administration had continued to attract international recognition.

According to him, Abia was recently rated first in healthcare affordability and among the top three states in the country for quality healthcare delivery.

He said the rankings were contained in a report by Philips Consulting and SBI, which also placed Abia as the only state to rank among the top three across 16 indicators of good governance based on citizens’ perception.

“The ranking and recognition by Philips Consulting serves as an independent validation of the impressive transformation recorded so far in the state’s health sector,” Kanu said.

He further revealed that the Ministry of Health had piloted a digital application known as CYTrack, designed to identify and monitor high-risk and teenage pregnancies in an effort to reduce maternal and child mortality.

According to Kanu, “The app has been used successfully to monitor such pregnancies up to delivery.”

151 PHCs now functional

Kanu said the government had also recorded progress through the functionalisation of Basic Health Centres across the state.

He disclosed that data covering July 2025 to June 2026 showed that the first 50 functionalised primary healthcare centres accounted for more than 20 per cent of the 1.067 million outpatient department visits and deliveries recorded during the period.

“Between July 27 and date, three additional PHCs were made functional, bringing the total to 151, up from 148. Another 25 equipped PHCs are scheduled for functionalization within the next three weeks,” he said.

The commissioner also disclosed that enrolment in the state health insurance scheme increased from 233,000 to 237,000 between July 27 and August 7.

He said the Abiriba Community Improvement Union, North America Charter, had committed to sponsoring more than 1,000 indigent persons under the informal sector of the scheme.

Kanu called on other communities and organisations to emulate the gesture and support vulnerable residents in accessing healthcare.

He added that the state recorded no outbreak of diseases of public health importance during the period under review.

The diseases listed included Ebola, Lassa fever, COVID-19, diphtheria, cholera, mpox and yellow fever.

Government plans housing estate rehabilitation

On infrastructure, Kanu said the Ministry of Housing had been directed to sanitise the World Bank Housing Estate at Abayi Umucham in Aba and undertake remedial works, including the rehabilitation of roads.

He said the ministry would also work with the Ministry of Works on rainy-season maintenance of roads within Amauba Estate to improve accessibility pending permanent construction.

A new transformer has also been provided for the estate, he added, to address electricity challenges.

Abia to mark 35th anniversary

The commissioner also announced that Abia State would celebrate the 35th anniversary of its creation this month.

He said a number of projects had been scheduled for commissioning as part of the celebrations, including the Obingwa General Hospital and the Cottage Hospital at Amamba Estate.

“It promises to be a week-long celebration that will further give major impetus to the transformation journey of the Alex Otti-led administration,” Kanu said.