We’ve no intention of sacking doctors – Abia Health Commissioner
From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia
Abia State government has said that it has no intention of sacking or disengaging any doctor or health personnel currently working in the state public service.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ngozi Okoronkwo, who made this known while reacting to rumours that the Abia State Government has sacked all medical doctors in the state public service, dismissed the rumours as fake news, saying they were untrue and unfounded.
“The purported sack is only the figment of the authors’ imagination as the government has no intention of sacking or disengaging any doctor or health personnel currently working to support our ongoing efforts at reviving the health sector in the state,” Dr. Okoronkwo said.
The rumours which went viral on the social media emanated from a purported Memo dated on Monday, July 17, 2023, which gave medical doctors in the employ of the state government 48 hours to reapply for their jobs if they were still interested in working with the state.
Many commentators, especially opposition elements, mocked the doctors who had embraced Governor Alex Otti as their Messiah, given their ugly experience in the hands of the immediate past government which owed them about 30 months arrears of salaries.
But the Commissioner maintained that no one has been asked to submit “fresh expression of interest” as the fake circular directed.
Dr. Okoronkwo advised the doctors and members of the general public to ignore the rumour and support the several initiatives of the government at driving holistic healthcare delivery in the state.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kazie Uko, disclosed that since the appointment of he Commissioner, first as Special Adviser on Health Care Delivery in the Otti’s administration, she has adopted several pragmatic initiatives at reviving the health sector in the state.
Uko said her intervention saw health workers call off their 6-month old strike and returned to work almost immediately.
While speaking on Saturday during the flag off of the free medical services of the Ministry at Aba General Hospital, the Health Commissioner pointed out that the era of owing health workers their entitlements was long gone as the Governor has prioritised prompt payments of salaries and allowances of the workers.
She is currently spearheading the efforts of the Dr Otti administration to rebuild dilapidated health care facilities across the state.
