The Chairman of the Hospital Management Board in Ondo State, Victor Ategbole, has led a verification exercise for casual workers in government hospitals as part of efforts to facilitate their possible conversion to permanent staff.
The exercise, which held at the General Hospitals in Iwaro-Oka and Ipe, is aimed at authenticating the records of casual employees who have served in various health facilities across the state for years.
It was gathered that many of the affected workers have spent over a decade rendering services in the hospitals while receiving stipends, with the hope of being absorbed into the mainstream workforce.
Sources within the board said the verification was necessary to ensure that the list of casual workers was credible and free from irregularities before any consideration for appointment.
The exercise is expected to continue in other state-owned health facilities, with a committee led by O. N. Akeredolu assigned to complete the process.
The initiative is said to be a continuation of efforts initiated under the leadership of Taiwo Fasoranti, former chairman of the board and now the Secretary to the State Government, who ensured that casual workers in the state’s hospitals were properly documented to create opportunities for their eventual regularisation.
Ategbole, who succeeded Fasoranti, was said to have prioritised the welfare of the workers by pursuing approval for consequential vacancies to enable the possible absorption of qualified personnel.
Officials noted that the process also received the backing of Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, whose administration they said had shown commitment to addressing the long-standing concerns of casual staff in the state’s health sector.
Many of the workers, it was learnt, expressed optimism that the exercise would mark a turning point after years of service without formal employment status.
