The Anambra State Ministry of Health has suspended the salaries of a medical doctor and two nurses caught diverting patients from government owned General Hospital, Ekwulobia in Aguata Local Government Area, to private hospitals.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Afam Obidike expressed disappointment over the attitude of the healthcare workers and their inhumane treatment to patients, stressing that those involved will not receive their salaries until further notice.
Dr. Obidike cautioned that the administration of Governor Chukwuma Soludo will not tolerate such behaviour going forward.
He explained that Governments intention in establishing hospitals is not to make profit, but rather to render quality and affordable care to the public while ensuring universal health coverage in the state.
According to Dr. Obidike, those involved will also face full extant law of the civil service and regretted that some healthcare workers are no longer upholding the ethics guiding their profession.
The Commissioner made it clear that the Ministry now has a task force that monitors the activities of healthcare workers and engage patients for feedback, regarding satisfaction with services rendered.
He further assured that they will continue to fish out those sabotaging government’s efforts in effective healthcare delivery in the state, and urged the public to call the following numbers if they notice any untoward behaviour or attitude in any hospital: 09063227856, 08035657865, 08036681476, for prompt action to be taken immediately.
The Anambra State Hospital Administrator, Dr. Frank Ifeanaeme confirmed that the healthcare workers actually committed the said offense by diverting patients to private hospitals, describing their actions as sabotage and unprofessional and against the civil service rule.
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