Abia reads riot act to health workers who abandon duty post *  As stakeholders strategise to boost healthcare delivery

Abia reads riot act to health workers who abandon duty post

*  As stakeholders strategise to boost healthcare delivery

By Steve Oko

Abia State Government has warned  health workers who abandon their duty posts especially at the primary health care (PHC) facilities, thus putting patients’ lives at risk, to sit up or risk losing their job.

Commissioner for Health, Professor Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, who read the riot act while speaking at a four-day worshop for health leaders and managers in the state, said Government would no longer tolerate a situation where health workers stay away from their duty posts.

This is as stakeholders in the health sector including the World Health Organisation, Federal Ministry of Health, and key players in the system gathererd for a workshop in Umuahia the state capital to strategise on ways to boost healthcare delivery in the state.

The workshop which was organised by the Federal Ministry of Health under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), also had in attendance Primary Health Secretaries from all 17 Local Government Areas in the state; as well as civil society organisations in health sector.

Professor Uche was reacting to observations by some of the participants that some health workers posted to PHC facilities in the state operate from outside their environment and most times, skip duties at the peril of patients.

He said it would be callous for any health worker not to take ones duty seriously more so after the state had spent so much to renovate 200 PHCs across the state.

The Commissioner said that health workers should reciprocate the recent upward review of their wages aimed at boosting their morale.

He said:”Every health worker must render the services for which he was engaged, and is being paid. The state just recently approved a new salary scale that matches the federal.”

The Commissioner disclosed that he made unscheduled visit to some PHCs for on-site evaluation of the health workforce, and discovered that some staff were absent from duty.

“I have made a lot of unscheduled visits to many of the primary healthcare centers. Many of them were found on the duty post. Those who were not found on the duty post, as I’m talking to you, are being made to answer for that. They are being queried? In one of the primary healthcare centers, all of them had to come to receive their queries directly from my office. And the appropriate measures will be meted to those found wanting.

” I just want to let our health workers know that it’s no longer business as usual. Our people expect that when they come to hospitals, they will meet the healthcare workers. And that is why the Governor has embarked on the renovation of primary healthcare centers under Project Ekwueme. The state is retrofitting 200 primary healthcare centers across the state under the project.

“But all those will amount to nothing if, after the hospitals are retrofitted and equipment installed, and the healthcare workers are no longer there. There are places where we don’t have the full complement of staff. That’s why the recruitment exercise of healthcare workers is ongoing now. Our aim is to make sure our people access quality health care.

“But those who, despite all the encouragement from government, refuse to discharge their duties, will be shown the way out because this government will not tolerate absenteeism, or insubordination, or incompetence, or negligence that will put the health of our people in harm’s way.”

The Commissioner said the main objective of the worshop was to prepare the framework for the operational activities of the ministry in 2026.

” We want to know, and map the details of the operational activities of the ministry and ensure that these activities are well budgeted for. We want to ensure that we meet the expectations of this administration for the health sector in 2026. So what we are doing is to plan to succeed.”

He restated the commitment of the state Government to a functional healthcare delivery in the state, saying that healthcare remains one of the key priority areas of the Gov. Alex Otti-led administration.

In a remark, the State Coordinator of WHO, Dr Jibrin Alkasim represented by Dr Carol Iwuoha, said the world body was committed to supporting the state’s in the health field.

He emphasized the need for continuous capacity building for health workers to up-skill healthcare delivery.

WHO noted with concern that some of the PHCs in the state were not offering 24-hour service to pregnant mothers, while urging the personnel to stop giving excuses.

WHO also advised pregnant mothers to stop patronising traditional birth attendants because of the inherent risks but visit PHCs and hospitals for child birth.

Speaking also, a representative of the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Chidinma Ejepu, said the worshop was part of the strategic plans to assist the health sector in developing its annual operational plan.

“This annual operational plan cuts across all the states. And we are developing this annual operational plan based on the health sector strategic blueprint. The goal is to save lives, and reduce financial and physical pain”, she said.

She dispelled misconceptions that the FMH was discriminatory in its health interventions in states, insisting that states are treated evenly based on performance.

“There is no discrimination irrespective of your region. We have a common platform where you can benefit. There won’t be a lopsided allocation of budgets. There is one plan for the health sector. All our budgets is pulled into one basket and every state is free to key into it and benefit.”

She hinted that the Federal Government is rolling out measures to permanently address the challenge of migration of health workers from the country, adding that the full package will soon be unveiled.

In a remark, the Permanent Secretary, Abia State Ministry of Health, Dr Ifenyinwa Umah-Kalu, said the worshop was all about capacity building for healthcare workers for improved service delivery.

“As stakeholders at different levels of the health sector, we sit together, plan together, so that we can have a budget that is linked to annual operational plan.

“The health sector is an ecosystem that addresses health care to make sure that no mother dies in a pregnancy-related condition. In Abia State we are cascading down to ensure that Abia health sector works and nobody dies for a preventive cause.”

She said that the State Government had commenced recruitment of 771 health workers to beef up the state’s health workforce.

“The application phase will end in August. There could be an extension if we don’t have enough”, she said.

The Permanent Secretary commended development partners for their various health interventions in the state.

In an interview, the Sector Wide Approach (SWAP) Desk Officer for Abia State, Dr Onuka Okorie, said that worshop was to train health authority secretaries and other stakeholders on how to improve healthcare delivery.

Earlier in his presentation, he identified Bende Ugwunagbo and Ukwa East Local Government Areas as the three LGAs with the highest maternal mortality rate in the state.

He blamed the cause on delays in seeking care, delays in reaching care, delays in receiving care and delays in taking responsibility as well as patronage of traditional birth attendants and religious sentiments.

Meanwhile, participants at the workshop expressed concern over the inadequacy of skilled health personnel to man the renovated PHCs and hospitals across the state, and pleaded with the state government to speed up its on-going recruitment of fresh hands.

One of the participants and the Primary Health Secretary in charge of Isuikuato LGA, Mrs Patricia Wogu, blamed absenteeism of some health workers on engagement of personnel living outside the state some of who have other jobs elsewhere.

” I confronted somebody and she told me that she cannot be coming to work everyday because she is living in a distant place. She told me that the person who gave her this job knows that”.

Comrade Richard Okoro representing CSOs in health, urged communities to take responsibility of PHC facilities in their domain.

She also frowned at the activities of some religious leaders who give pregnant mothers false prophesies that they would give birth naturally and not through surgery.

 

Steve Oko, Publisher/C.E.O, WaWa News Global. For more information on advert placement and news coverage, contact us on: 08038725600, or via email stevemanofgod2000@yahoo.com; wawanewsglobal@gmail.com Always read WaWa News Global - Your most dependable online news platform for the latest breaking news in Nigeria.

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