…As the Nursing & Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) Grants Approval

In a historic development, the Kwara State Government has secured the approval of the Nursing & Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) to commence the training of graduate intern-nurses in the state for the first time ever.

The Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Hospitals Management Board, Dr. Abdulraheem Malik, made this announcement today during a management meeting of the Board. He revealed that Sobi Specialist Hospital, Ilorin, and General Hospital, Offa, will serve as pioneer training centers for the internship program.

This milestone is expected to:

Enhance the quality of nursing practice in Kwara State
Provide hands-on clinical training for graduate nurses
Improve healthcare delivery in state-owned hospitals
Boost employment opportunities for fresh nursing graduates

Dr. Malik commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his relentless investment in the health sector, which has made this achievement possible.

The internship program is a major step towards building a stronger healthcare system in Kwara, ensuring that intern-nurses receive the practical experience needed to excel in their profession.

According to Dr. Malik, "this is yet another great step in the right direction by the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq towards laying a solid academic foundation that will last a lifetime in our health sector, closing manpower gaps, and sustaining the improvements we have achieved over the years in our healthcare service delivery." Adding that, it further confirmed that the health of Kwara residents is one of the cardinal goals of the present administration.

"This trust reposed on us by the regulatory body will not be taken for granted and all preconditions that got us here today will be sustained. If you recall we recently secured a similar approval from the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) to start training graduate pharmacist interns,” Dr. Malik affirmed.

The Executive Secretary further urged all the stakeholders in the health sector to put all hands on deck at ensuring that healthcare services are professionally delivered at all times to Kwarans.

"Kwara State has now joined the league of states in the country who train intern pharmacists and nurses. The management of the Hospital Management Board is actively working on getting accreditation to add Medical Laboratory Scientists to the State's list of internship training", he disclosed further.

In her remarks, the Director of Nursing Services (DNS), Mrs. Oyewole Risikat, urged the prospective graduate nurses to make good use of the opportunity as many resources have been committed to healthcare training programmes in Kwara State to enable them compete favourably well with their counterparts all over the world.

Also speaking, the Director of Medical Services and Training, Dr. Femi Joseph commended the Kwara State government and the doggedness of the Executive Secretary, Dr Abdulraheem Malik for the exemplary leadership he has brought to bear in the Agency.