By Abdallah el-Kurebe
Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state, at about 2.00am Sunday morning, paid an unscheduled visit to the State Specialist Hospital, Sokoto, where he met patients in pitiable conditions.
A statement issued on Sunday by Malam Imam Imam, Tambuwal’s spokesman, explained that the Governor’s immediate observation was that there was no electricity supply in the hospital and “many patients, who could not withstand the excruciating heat in their wards, (laid) down outside the designated wards.
“After going round the dark complex for 30 minutes to assess things for himself, Tambuwal was then recognized by a few of the staff on duty. Upon noticing his presence, the generator set was quickly powered on while the staff made attempts to hurry the patients into the rooms,” the statement added.
The governor lamented the condition of patients and warned that government will not tolerate laxity from any of its workers.
He also spoke to the patients and assured them that their health needs would not be toyed with by the government.
Tambuwal admonished the staff on duty to fear God and warned that any repeat of what he saw at the Hospital by any government worker will be met with appropriate sanctions.
He warned that unscheduled visits at odd hours to government agencies would continue so as to acquaint himself with how workers fulfill their obligations to the people.
It could be recalled that some times back, a Correspondent of the BBC reported incidents of sale of free drugs to pregnant women and children under the age of five. The report went without being investigated.
