The Delta State Government has sacked and demoted several health workers found guilty of extorting money from pregnant women and children under five, despite the state’s free healthcare policy for these groups.
Dr. Joseph Onojaeme, the State Commissioner for Health, made the announcement on Saturday during the launch of the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiatives Project Action Plan in Ashaka, Ndokwa East Local Government Area.
He stated that the government had increased surveillance of hospitals to ensure that monies released for maternal and child healthcare were properly used.
“Health workers in the state have done well, but for every twelve, there is a Judas. We have received reports of some collecting money from pregnant women and children under five for drugs, while still forwarding the bills to the government for payment,” Onojaeme stated.
The commissioner emphasized that the state pays all pregnant women’s medical bills until birth, as well as providing free treatment to children under the age of five.
“We have demoted some of these fraudulent workers and sacked many within this short period. With continuous monitoring and the support of mothers, these practices will reduce,” he added.
Onojaeme advised locals to report any health worker requesting payment for maternity or child care, stressing that the Executive Assistant to the Governor on Health Monitoring’s phone number would be made public in response to such complaints.
He also reported that the state’s maternal death rate has reduced from more than 200 to less than 120 per 100,000 live births and expressed hope that the MAMII Project will further reduce the rates.
Dr. John Ovuoraye, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, underlined the Federal Government’s commitment to assisting states in reducing maternal and newborn mortality.
He said that 172 local government districts in 33 states have been designated as high-risk zones, with five in Delta, Ndokwa East, Ughelli North, Aniocha North, Udu, and Sapele.
Ovuoraye stated that the MAMII Project, which is funded by President Bola Tinubu, is being carried out in partnership with USAID, WHO, UNICEF, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank, and numerous European partners.
The presentation of the MAMII plaque to Delta State, as well as the formation of a task group to guarantee the project’s action plan is implemented effectively, were the event’s highlights
