Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Abia State Government has described as false and mischievous, reports that medical doctors in the state employ had been sacked.
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ngozi Okoronkwo, who debunked the report during a press conference in Umuahia, accused the opposition of peddling such unfounded and misleading fabrication.
According to her, the intention of Gov. Alex Otti is to boost the morale of doctors and medical personnel in the state for greater output, and not to disengage them.
The Commissioner urged members of the public to disregard the “misleading report” being propagated by detractors.
Speaking earlier during the flag off of the free medical services of the Ministry at Aba General Hospital, the Commissioner restated the readiness of Gov. Alex Otti to improve on the welfare of health workers in the state.
She assured that salaries of medical personnel and other public servants would be regularly paid.
“The era of owing health workers their entitlements was long gone as the governor has prioritised prompt payments of salaries and allowances of the workers.”
Dr Okoronkwo who said that Gov Otti was not contemplating sack of any doctors, added that the purported sack of doctors was a ruse.
“The purported sack is only the figment of the authors’ imagination as the government has no intention of sacking or disengaging any doctor or health personnel currently working to support our ongoing efforts at reviving the health sector in the state.”
She also maintained that no one has been asked to submit “fresh expression of interest” as the fake circular directed.
Dr Okoronkwo, noted that since her appointment first as Special Adviser on Health Care Delivery in the Otti’s administration, she had adopted several pragmatic initiatives at reviving the health sector in the state.
