Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has once again assured health workers in the state that his administration remains fully committed to improving the conditions of service for nurses and other caregivers to ensure optimal performance.
The governor gave the assurance while speaking at a one-day Nursing Summit organised by the State Ministry of Health under the theme, “Revitalising Ethics and Etiquette in the Nursing Profession.”
Represented by the Secretary to Government of Gombe, Professor Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi, the governor described the summit as a gathering of hearts and minds committed to strengthening the foundation of healthcare delivery in the state.
He observed that nurses embody the human side of medicine, noting that their close contact with patients during vulnerable moments offers not just treatment, but comfort and reassurance.
“When a nurse smiles, a patient heals faster. When a nurse listens, a patient feels valued. This summit is about restoring those values and reaffirming the noble calling of nursing,” he said.
The governor stressed that patient safety is non-negotiable, describing it as the cornerstone of healthcare. He maintained that ethics and etiquette are the heartbeat of trust, without which no amount of technology or infrastructure can guarantee quality care.
“As you are all aware, my administration has rehabilitated 228 primary healthcare centres across the state, ensuring that communities everywhere have access to safe and functional facilities. We are also upgrading general hospitals in each of the three senatorial zones. These hospitals are being equipped to serve as centres of excellence, providing not only treatment but also training and research opportunities for our healthcare professionals,” he added.
The governor revealed that beyond infrastructure, his administration has implemented the Federal Government-approved CONMESS and CONHESS salary scales, ensuring that nurses and other health professionals are fairly rewarded for their invaluable service.
He further stated that the administration has constituted the Hospitals Management Board to strengthen governance, improve accountability, and enhance efficiency in health institutions.
He noted that his administration’s vision goes beyond facilities and salaries, emphasising that the government is poised to build a system that protects the people of the state.
Governor Yahaya explained that the Gombe State Health Insurance Scheme (GoHealth) now has over 380,000 enrollees, describing the scheme as a critical pillar of financial protection that ensures healthcare is not a privilege but a right.
Earlier in his remarks, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Habu Dahiru, described the summit as timely and strategic in advancing the health sector reform agenda of the governor’s administration.
He noted that nursing and midwifery constitute the largest segment of the health workforce and remain central to the delivery of safe, effective, and people-centred health services, hence the importance of ethics and etiquette as indispensable tools for effective service delivery.
The Director of Nursing Services, Idris Mohammed Atiku, in his welcome address, said the aim of the summit was to train nurses and midwives on the imperatives of ethics and etiquette in the nursing profession.
A total of 350 nurses and midwives drawn from across the state participated in the training.
Joshua Danmalam, Information Officer, SGS’ office.
