Delta state government has deleted names of 200 doctors, nurses. Pharmacists, other health workers who were working in the Delta state university teaching hospital Oghara in Ethiope West local government area of Delta state.
The names were deleted following investigation conducted by the new commissioner for health, Dr. Joseph Onojaeme into the operations of the tertiary institution to verify multiple complaints which flooded his office.
The commissioner told journalists that on resumption of office as health commissioner last year, he called for auditing of staff of health institutions, a development which led to unraveling the number of health workers had relocated to foreign countries but still drawing salaries from the hospital in connivance with unscrupulous fellows.
He said: “When I came onboard, I called for auditing of staff, especially in DELSUTH because I got complaints. We found out that those number of staff were not in existence in the hospital. They don’t come to work.
“When we did thorough investigation, we found out that a lot of them are abroad. We had to remove them from our payroll. That is to serve as deterrent to others in the state. This is not only happening in Delta state, it’s happening everywhere, even in federal ministries. But in Delta, anybody caught will face severe sanctions. You cannot collect government money when you are not working for it. They will be made to refund the money.”
“The major problem we have in the health sector is human resources. We employ 100 doctors today, within six months it remains only 50. Some take up the job to gather funds and travel out. A lot of health workers leave the country for abroad.
“You will discover that a lot of these workers, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, lab scientists, others, travel abroad few months after receiving employment from the government. They will still be receiving salaries in their respective hospitals. They also receive foreign currencies in the countries where they work. This cannot be condoned.”
