Borno Gov Threatens Disciplinary Action against Absentee Doctors

Borno Gov Threatens Disciplinary Action against Absentee Doctors

By Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri

The Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, has threatened disciplinary action against any medical personnel, especially doctors, who are absent from duty.

Umara made the threat when he visited a state-owned hospital in Maiduguri at 2 a.m. and met no doctor on call.

A statement by the spokesman of the governor, Mallam Isa Gusau, on Tuesday read: “Although medical doctors normally address health troubles, this time around, some doctors are the ones in trouble after Borno’s Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum showed up 2 a.m. at the state Specialist and Umaru Shehu hospitals, both in Maiduguri.

“The governor found out that none of the medical doctors on duty, was available at Umaru Shehu even as one of the doctors who lives within the hospital’s staff quarters did not respond to several telephone calls placed on his numbers on the governor’s instruction.”

‎Gusau said on arrival, the governor went round all the wards and met 10 nurses out of the 135 working at the hospital with none of the 19 resident doctors including two of those said to be ‘on call’ around.

He said the governor immediately called the hospital’s medical director and ordered him to take disciplinary action against the absentee doctors.

Gusau said the governor wondered what could have been the situation if any admitted patients had emergency situation which required the urgent attention of the medical doctors.

Gusau said: “Thirty minutes earlier (1:30am), Professor Zulum had paid similar surprise visit to the state specialist hospital also in Maiduguri. While going round the emergency, maternity, male and female surgical wards, paediatric and orthopedic wards, the governor found in the hospital, all the four resident doctors on call alongside some nurses and pharmacists.”

THISDAY reports that the governor has formed a habit of playing unscheduled visits to public institutions in the state.

He has since his inauguration two months ago paid unscheduled visits to the state secretariat, schools and water treatment plants.

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