Rivers
Fraudulent Health Workers To Go – Commissioner
The Rivers Commissioner for Health, Dr Sampson Parker, has said that he will not hesitate to sack fraudulent and indolent health workers.
Parker made this threat on Monday at the 22nd Free Medical Care Programme (FMCP) review meeting in Port Harcourt.
He said: “If you spoil the food you eat, you are not a patient and we catch you, you would be sacked.
“I have Gov. Chibuike Amaechi’s mandate to sack you and we wait for you in the court.”
He urged them to show a high sense of responsibility at their duty posts in the over all interest of efficient health care delivery.
Parker said healthcare was no longer restricted to health centres, but meeting the people in their homes with health education.
The commissioner said the people should be told about diseases, the causes and how to prevent them, stressing that the people should be responsible for their health.
According to him, 80 per cent of the deaths in Rivers was due to late arrival at the hospitals, so people should not be careless with their lives.
Parker added that being careless with ones heath would deplete public finances, arguing that the sickness would have eaten up the victim, gulping more money than it would have, if it was reported early.
He noted that 70 per cent of health challenges could be handled by primary
health centres if reported in good time, assuring that primary health centres in
the state would soon be upgraded.
The commissioner urged health workers to update their knowledge, saying very
soon medical doctors would be giving prescription on pads that look like ATM card.
He admonished the health workers to carry out the free medical care programme
in line with Amaechi’s vision.
In his remarks,the state Chairman of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr
Bonas Harry, said patients were brought late to hospitals, noting that such accounted
for the high number of patients in the Intensive Care Units (ICU) of public hospitals.
He advised Nigerians to ensure that they went for regular medical check up, saying
the NMA backed the Free Medical Care Programme(FMCP) because of the
financial relief it brought to the people.
Earlier, Mrs Stella Toby, the Permanent Secretary, Free Medical Care Programme,
said the spread and reach of FMCP had been on the increase, warning health workers
against fraudulent practices.
According to her, the conditions to qualify one for the programme include proof of
residency with payment of utility bill, taxes, voters card, driver’s licence and two
passport photographs.
The programme was launched in May 2000.