Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole has said Zamfara State has only 23 doctors managing 24 hospitals.

Adewole said this in Abuja on Tuesday during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Sokoto State Government and the Federal Government-owned Usman Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital.

He said state governments need to enter into agreements with the Federal Government so that doctors working in federal establishments across the country could be deployed in state hospitals to assist.

Adewole added, “What we are trying to do is bridge the gap between federal and state governments. There should be no wall. This feat we are achieving today is the first of its kind in this country.

“It is not only peculiar to Sokoto State. I was in Zamfara. At the Federal Medical Centre in Zamfara, there are about 120 doctors but the state has less than 40 in the entire state, in fact they were 23 or so as at the last count to manage 24 hospitals.

“So, it is a matter of one doctor per hospital. And, yet, the federal hospital has about 120. To me, that is inequality, inequity and must not persist in our country. This is because those who are not benefitting are also Nigerians. It is our duty to address these things and also ensure we offer our people good care.”

Azeez