Kabir Dara, General Manager, Katsina State Hospitals Management Board, has blamed the dearth of medical doctors in the state on the insecurity in Northern Nigeria.

Mr. Dara made the statement while answering questions from newsmen in Katsina on Tuesday, stressing that the present insecurity in the north had forced many non-indigenous doctors to leave.

“You all know in the north there is this general notion of insecurity and this situation has driven away most doctors who are not indigenes.

“He limited number of doctors is not peculiar to Katsina State as it applies to Kaduna, Zamfara and all the northern states,” he said.

The manager said another factor responsible for the dearth of doctors in the state was the disengagement from the service by indigenous doctors for other places.

The manager said the state government had instituted a medical students scheme to produce indigenes who would work in state hospitals.

He said under the programme, the government was sponsoring 222 medical students in various universities in Nigeria.

He said the medical students had entered into a bond to work in the state after their studies.

Meanwhile, Mr. Dara said efforts were being made to retain the 154 doctors currently in the state service.

The state chapter of Nigerian Medical Association last week gave a three-week ultimatum to the state government to address the deteriorating healthcare system and dearth of medical personnel in the state.