By Tina George, Minna
Niger state government has disclosed that it had spent N150 million for medical medical treatment abroad.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Muhammad Makunsidi, who disclosed this to newsmen in Minna said that government would no longer give medical assistance to anyone in the state.
According to him, the state had employed the services of 28 consultants and other specialists, who could offer the services that were being sought outside the country.
“Niger state is spending too much on medical assistance and we are putting a stop to it. All medical assistance coming to us will be screened and although we are not saying an outright cancellation of medical assistance but the one we can handle here would be handled here.
“The government is tired of medical assistance and we are appealing to the public to understand with us. We have a lot of hands and facilities that can treat these cases and we will start using them now.”
Also speaking on indiscipline among its health staff, the Permanent Secretary said that over 50 health workers in the various health centers across the state have been disciplined.
He said that the services of about six consultant Doctors have been discontinued, five Doctors have been disciplined while over 40 Nurses and Health Attendants have been disciplined.
“We have sacked several doctors while others are undergoing a series of disciplinary measures. For most of them, we withhold their salaries and take away their off-days while for others, we suspend them. You know it is sometimes difficult to fire civil servants but we have devised various ways to discipline them.
Maikunsidi declared that the state government could no longer take the complaints coming from the people about the attitude of the health workers especially while they are in duty.
