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Tag: Health Commissioner

  • Kebbi gov suspends Health Commissioner for alleged negligence

    Kebbi gov suspends Health Commissioner for alleged negligence

    Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris has approved the suspension of the Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Yunusa Musa-Ismail, with immediate effect.

    This is contained in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Malam Yahaya Sarki, on Thursday in Birnin Kebbi.

    Sarki said that the suspension of the commissioner followed the governor’s directive.

    He stated that the governor had directed Musa-Ismail to provide cogent reasons why disciplinary measures should not be taken against him over an alleged negligence of duty and disregard for his mandate as a commissioner.

    “By this directive, the commissioner is hereby suspended from office until further notice,” he said.

    The governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to accountability, discipline, and effective service delivery in all sectors.

    According to Sarki , Idris emphasised that public officers must justify the confidence reposed in them.

  • Wike fires his Health Commissioner for ‘most embarrassing’ decision

    Wike fires his Health Commissioner for ‘most embarrassing’ decision

    Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers, on Monday, sacked the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Princewill Chike, for allegedly hosting preliminary session of Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) without approval.

    Wike announced the commissioner’s sack when the MDCN Chairman, Prof. Abba Hassan, paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Port Harcourt.

    The governor described the unilateral decision of the commissioner to host MDCN without the consent of the state government as ‘most embarrassing’.

    He said that the state government did not request to host the preliminary session of the council.

    Wike stressed that the commissioner erred by unilaterally scheduling hosting of MDCN for the same time government was inaugurating and flagging off of projects.

    “Frankly speaking, I have never seen an embarrassment like this in my life. Everybody knows that it is not my nature to bring people and not attend to them. So, whoever has done this must suffer for it,” he said.

    Wike, however, said that MDCN’s request for the establishment of tertiary hospital in each of their senatorial districts would not be realisable due to paucity of funds.

    “You have talked about siting tertiary hospital in each of the senatorial districts; this is not possible.

    ”That is why in Nigeria we have a problem. When you go for your budget, you put all kinds of projects. You know it cannot work. Where will you get the money to site the hospital in each of the senatorial districts?” he queried.

    The governor said in order to improve citizens’ access to quality healthcare service delivery, his administration had embarked on construction of some zonal hospitals in Bori, Degema, Etche, Ahoada and Omoku.

    He further said his government had also invested huge amount of resources on promotion of medical education in the state.

    ”This is particularly with the establishment of Rivers State University College of Medical Sciences and the annual award of scholarship to 130 indigenes studying medicine at PAMO University of Medical Sciences,” he said.

    The governor called for reduction of the money accruing to the Federal Government from the Federation Account to enable states to have more resources to drive their developments.

    Earlier, Hassan said that they were in the state for the 9th preliminary session of the council and commended Wike for his positive attitude toward healthcare and medical delivery services in the state.

    He was particular about the huge investment in Rivers State University College of Medical Science and the construction of the world-class Peter Odili Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Diagnostic and Treatment Centre.

    The MDCN chairman urged governors to consider investing in tertiary hospitals in each of the senatorial districts to increase the number of hospitals available for the training of house officers and check medical tourism.

  • Gov. Zulum sacks Borno Health Commissioner

    Gov. Zulum sacks Borno Health Commissioner

    Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno has relieved the Commissioner of Health, Dr. Salihu Kwaya-Bura of his position.

    The sack is contained in a statement by the Special Adviser to the governor on Public Relations and Strategy, Malam Isa Gusau.

    Gusau said the removal was part of measures to reposition the ministry.

    ”The governor has directed his Chief of Staff, Isa Marte, a Professor of pharmacology and fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science with a specialty in cancer research, to oversee the affairs of the ministry pending the appointment of a substantive commissioner.

    “Zulum expresses gratitude to Kwayabura for his immense contributions to the development of Borno public health sector in nearly two years of the current administration and the years he had served under the previous administration,” Gusau said.

  • We have passed peak of COVID-19 pandemic – Lagos Govt declares

    We have passed peak of COVID-19 pandemic – Lagos Govt declares

    The Lagos State Government on Wednesday said the state has passed the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    This was revealed by the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi.

    The Commissioner however warned that the state could witness a surge in cases if Lagosians lose guard.

    Abayomi spoke on Wednesday during a monitored talk show on Nigeria Info 99.3FM, themed, ‘Fighting COVID-19 in Lagos’.

    He said, “Lagos might be a its peak in the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s not over yet as we may see an escalation of positive cases. However, until we see a decline in the number of positive cases, we shouldn’t relent.

    “We believe the lockdown was not effective because of the reality of a city where people go out to fend for themselves on a daily basis. If not, you will replace a health crisis with an economic crisis.

    “Concerning the number of positive results seen this period, we have sample collection centres in every local government in Lagos, so the more we test the more cases we find. If there are no more positives, then the outbreak is slowing down.

    “Our observation is that Lagos has passed the worst of the pandemic; it has passed the peak of the pandemic and is now on the flattening stage and over time, we will experience a down slope of the virus, then the end of COVID-19.”

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the commissioner on August 24 tested positive for the virus and has been receiving treatment in isolation since then.

  • I did not test positive for COVID-19 – Lagos health commissioner

    I did not test positive for COVID-19 – Lagos health commissioner

    Lagos State Health Commissioner, Prof Akin Abayomi, says he is not infected with coronavirus.

    The commissioner had earlier on Thursday announced that 10 persons associated with the Lagos State Government House, Marina, tested positive for the virus.

    But he stated on Friday via Twitter that he did not test positive for the disease while urging the public to disregard false reports claiming otherwise.

    “I hereby implore the general public to disregard the fake and misleading news circulating in the media to the effect that I have tested positive for COVID-19 infection.

    “It is evident that the fake news is calculated at causing panic and unnecessary anxiety amongst the populace,” Abayomi wrote while urging Lagosians to remain vigilant and continue to play their role by wearing masks in public places, avoiding crowd as well as observing good hygiene and social distancing in order to curtail the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

    Meanwhile, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on Thursday night announced three-digit cases in the state, the highest in a day for any state in Nigeria.

    The Centre said 183 new infections were reported in Lagos, bringing the total cases to 1491 including 406 recoveries and 33 fatalities.

  • Coronavirus cases in Lagos likely to hit 39,000 in coming weeks – Health commissioner

    Coronavirus cases in Lagos likely to hit 39,000 in coming weeks – Health commissioner

    The Lagos State Government on Friday warned that coronavirus cases in the state may surge to 39,000 in the coming weeks if proactive measures were not put in place to avoid the situation.

    Lagos currently has 44 confirmed cases, which include 41 active cases and 3 discharged patients.

    Health Commissioner, Prof. Akin Abayomi, at a news conference disclosed that about 3,000 primary contacts of those infected with the disease were being traced on daily basis.

    He warned that infected cases may increase if the contacts were not observing self-isolation or social distancing.

    According to him, the mathematical projection was that the state could have up to 39,000 cases.

    He said this has not happened because of the state’s strategy of tracing primary contacts of victims and constant follow up.

    At worse, the state does not expect to have more than 13,000 cases, he said.

    Lagos is making significant progress compared to what is happening across the globe, he added.

    “We have to make sure that we practise aggressive social distancing. If we carry on with out strategy we will not give the disease the opportunity to spread.”

    Abayomi stated that the current statistics compared to other countries after four weeks showed that the country was getting it right, containing and curtailing the virus.

    “We are doing something right in Lagos. Then if we continue to do that, we will remain on the lower trajectory.

    “It shows we are keeping the curve flat which is allowing us to keep up with number of cases we have so far. Until the virus runs out of wind, the curve will flatten, bend and continue to reduce.

    “At four weeks, Spain and Italy had thousands of cases.

    “But after four weeks we have just 37. Our data shows that Lagos and Nigeria are doing very well in containing this virus.”

  • Kwara Govt. to spend N450m on solar power in Hospitals

    Kwara Govt. to spend N450m on solar power in Hospitals

    The Kwara Government has released N450 million for the provision of solar power in all state-owned General Hospitals across the three senatorial districts.

    The state Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Atolagbe Alege disclosed this in llorin on Tuesday during an interview.

    The Commissioner said this was part of the effort to enhance health care service delivery in the state and also to ensure an uninterrupted power supply.

    Alege explained that the solar power project would pave way for efficiency and productivity in all the hospitals.

    He added that the new project will afford the medical personnel the opportunity to provide patients with an effective intensive care services.

    Similarly, the commissioner disclosed that Gov. AbdulFatah Ahmed, had approved the release of N250 million for the successful take-off of Health Insurance Scheme in the llorin Emirate.

    He said the interested beneficiaries must register with N500 to access treatment.

    He enjoined the people of the state to take advantage of the facilities and services available in the hospitals to take care of their health.