The Provost of Kwara State College of Health Technology, Offa, Dr Aliyu Alabi has called on the federal and state governments to strengthen the products of Health Technology Colleges across the country to address the dearth of personnel in the health sector.

Alabi opined that the products of the colleges could be used to address the large number of medical doctors, nurses and other medical workers leaving the country in droves.

The provost made the call during an interview with LEADERSHIP in Ilorin, on the menace on skilled migrants that are leaving the country in search of ‘Greener pastures’ in what is now referred to as ‘japa’ in Nigeria.

He emphasised the vital roles of graduands of Health Technology institutions in the primary healthcare delivery system in the country.

Alabi said that the products of the institutions are skillful in handling middle-level man-power in the health sector, particularly at the grassroots.

Rolling out the achievements of his administration, Alabi said about 1,600 products of the institution had been mobilised for participation in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in the last two years.“The Kwara State Collge of Health Technology, Offa, had in the last few years produced over 60,000 health technologists in various fields and contributing to the sector positively,” he said.

He thanked the state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his administration’s support for the institution, which he noted accounts for the successes recorded by the institution.

He, however, called on the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to consider Colleges of Health Technology for financial intervention.