Naira Scarcity: Governor Zulum Directs Govt Hospitals To Give Patients Free Drugs
By Madu Mohammed, Maiduguri
Governor, Babagana Zulum, of Borno state has directed all government hospital to give free drug to patients to ease the hardship faced by them as a result of Naira scarcity.
This followed the release of over N300 million worth of drugs and other medical supplies to government hospitals by the Governor for free distribution to patients most of whom were facing difficulties in making payments due to scarcity of new and old naira notes..
White Unveiling the drugs at his central medical stores, Baga road in Maiduguri, yesterday .the Borno state commissioner for Health and Human Services, Professor Mohammed Arab Alhaji said the supplies included drugs for prevalent illnesses, maternal delivery kits and other medical essentials..
Prof. Arab directed medical directors and Managing Directors of public healthcare centres in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council and Jere to quickly prepare procedural papers to receive their allocations for immediate deployment of the drugs and other supplies..
He said “while we know some people may have money and still demand free drugs by pretending they lack funds, we cannot because some dishonest people, refuse to help those in need”.
The commissioner emphasized that the drugs must be given free to patients that have no money at hand or those that have problem in accessing their funds to pay their service.
Arab on behalf of health workers across the state, thanked Governor Zulum for once again, coming to the aid of patients at a critical period, a move which he described as humane.
The Commissioner also said that the Borno State Ministry of Health was liaising with the Borno State Board of Internal Revenue with the state’s Board of Internal Revenue which is responsible for all collections of payments in public hospitals, and the First Bank Plc which is the financial institution involved with the payment issues, towards providing more POS (point of sale) machines at public hospitals across Borno State.
Speaking on their behalf, Medical Director of the State Specialist Hospital, Dr. Baba Shehu Mohammed, said they were happier than the patients to benefit, because they normally feel pained seeing patients being unable to pay for diagnoses or buy drugs after prescriptions.
