The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has berated the high level of corruption among medical practitioners in state-owned hospitals.
The governor, during a meeting with doctors in Benin City, the state capital said the health sector has over the years been impeded by corruption.
He added that every doctor must now account for what they do, to justify their salaries.
“I have seen corruption like never before in the healthcare system. It is alarming and unacceptable. We have drawn the line and it will not be business as usual. It is left to you to either join us or take a bow honourably,” he said.
The Governor reassured that his administration would continue to find solutions to improve the ailing healthcare system in the state.
Obaseki, who expressed dislike over the lack of medical records of patients and death certificate data in government-owned hospitals, gave the state healthcare practitioners one week to organise themselves.
“We must be up and doing. Some of you earn twice more than me, who is the governor of the state. You have to provide a good healthcare system for Edo people. I want to ensure that by the time we leave the system, none would have cause to leave the state for treatment.”
According to him: “The modality of having just one doctor in Igarra, two in Auchi while more doctors are in Benin City, doing nothing” is not welcomed. “Patients in these areas visit private hospitals because they have lost faith in our system. On no account should any doctor refuse to posting”
“For the past 10 months now, I have had the opportunity of studying the healthcare system in the state. It is so clear that the system has collapsed. I have information to this effect. We have no choice but to move forward and collectively, we must improve the system and make the people trust the system again.
Explaining that there is a need to move forward as a state, the Governor said: “This is why we introduced the Health Insurance Scheme. Edo Health Insurance Scheme doesn’t discriminate as you will get services anywhere you go in the state. We have already started deducting Health premiums for civil servants since last month and we must give them good services.
According to him, every doctor must now account for what they do, to justify their salaries. “We must be up and doing. Some of you earn twice more than me, who is the governor of the state. You have to provide a good healthcare system for Edo people. I want to ensure that by the time we leave the system, none would have cause to leave the state for treatment.”
“I will put my life on the line for Edo people, their health is important to me and worth dying for, they voted me into power,” he added.
In his response, Maxwell Oronsaye, Family Physician in Central Hospital, Benin, lamented the lack of personnel and resources to take proper statistics of mortalities in the hospital.
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