Cash crunch: Borno patients to receive free drugs

From: Shehu Abubakar, Maiduguri

Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, has directed the state ministry of health to release N300 million worth of drugs and other medical supplies to government hospitals for free administration to patients to ease the hardship they encounter in making payments due to scarcity of new and old naira notes.

Commissioner of Health and Human Services, Professor Mohammed Arab Alhaji, disclosed this while unveiling the drugs at his ministry’s stores located along Baga road in Maiduguri.

The supplies included drugs for prevalent illnesses, maternal delivery kits and other medical essentials.

The commissioner directed medical directors and principal medical officers 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.

Arab 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.

He said officials would rely on patients to be honest because as Zulum noted, “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”.

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.

Medical Directors and Principal Medical Officers of public hospitals in their joint response have expressed happiness with Governor Zulum’s gesture.

On their behalf, Medical Director of the State Specialist Hospital, Dr. Baba Shehu Mohammed, said they were happier than the patients because they normally feel pained seeing patients being unable to pay for diagnoses or buy drugs after prescriptions.

Country President of United Town Agency( UTA), Princess Abigail CHINYERE AMALAHA and her Officials sensitising FCT, Abuja Residents at the Palace of Emir of Garki on Peaceful general election, yesterday in Abuja.