Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State has said government hospitals in state were mere consulting clinics when he assumed office in 2015.
He lamented that activities of quack doctors in both government and private hospitals were the greatest challenges facing the sector.
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Bello disclosed this in Minna on Saturday during a memorial lecture and book lunch in honor of a former Commissioner for health and hospital services in the state, late Dr. Ibrahim Babamini Sule.
The governor noted that the decay in the sector turned all the government hospitals in the state to a mere consulting clinics, begging for urgent attention.
He added that the ethics of the medial profession was being abused by doctors in government-owned hospitals who formed the habits of referring patients to private hospitals owned by their friends.
“I inherited a lot of problems and challenges at the health sector in 2015 when my administration came on board. The ethics of the profession was being abused with Doctors working in government owned hospitals directing patients to private clinics owned by their friends or associates.
“The problem of quack Doctors and hospitals carrying out functions that is beyond their powers with attendant loss of lives was another biggest challenge. Government hospitals became the last option for patients seeking medical attention in the state due to the decay in the sector,” he said.
Bello, however, said the level of the decay in the sector led to the decision of the government to set up a committee, with the late commissioner for health as the chairman.
He said the death of Dr Sule stalled the work of the committee even though some progress have been recorded in the sector in the last six years.
“From the three Consultants we met in 2015, we now have not less than 30 Consultants in various medical fields.”
“The welfare of Doctors and other medical workers have been improved greatly in other to boost their morale and discourage them from any unprofessional act in the course of discharging their duties.”
He described the late Doctor Sule, whom they both served together as commissioners in the former Governor Babangida Aliyu cabinet in 2008 as an upright person who is dedicated to his work and profession, adding that “people must change because of their life after death”.
The Author of the book, Professor Mohammed Yahaya Kuta of the University of Ibadan, who equally served together as commissioner with the late Dr Sule, said he was inspired to write the book because of his good works here on earth and the comments of people about him.
