We’ll take actions against non-performing CMD,  Health Minister warns

Kunle Sanni

The coordinating minister of health and social welfare, Ali Pate has stated that non-performing chief Medical Directors (CMDs) of the country’s tertiary health institutions will face severe consequences.

Pate addressed in Abuja on Wednesday as part of the federal ministry of information and national orientation’s third ministerial press briefing series (MPBS).

According to Pate, the CMDs should be focused on offering healthcare services to Nigerians, and he threatened to hold accountable anyone found to be failing in this regard.

“I want to put all federal tertiary hospitals on notice that the Minister of State and myself will make serious surreptitious visits to those facilities to see what they are doing, so they should be ready,”

“If any of our chief executives does not focus on the quality of care in their hospitals and we see lapses, we will take drastic action against them.

“This is because at the end of the day, these are public institutions and their focus is to provide services to Nigerians and to ensure that Nigerians are respected when they are given those services.”

According to Pate, patient attendance at federal tertiary hospitals has significantly increased, which he said is evidence of the higher calibre of treatment and the public’s growing trust in the healthcare system.

He claimed that the federal government would increase the institutions’ ability to provide specialist medical services by making targeted investments in infrastructure, technology, and human capital.

“The federal government will also handle complex health conditions, ensuring that every Nigerian has access to world-class healthcare when needed,” he said.

“Our commitment to improving tertiary healthcare services is unwavering. Twelve tertiary hospitals/centres have been earmarked for infrastructure development, including the establishment of oncology centres, radiology centres, and diagnostics facilities.

“These investments will enhance our capacity to provide specialised care and meet the evolving healthcare needs of our people.”

Pate added that the ministry is making a lot of effort to address every issue that health professionals face.

He declared that CMDs had been alerted so they could treat shooting victims right away without requiring them to file a police report.

He said, “On gunshot victims, we have stated it and the inspector-general of police also raised it but the issue is the non-public facilities, the private facilities, some of the state facilities may not be paying enough attention,“ the minister said.

“So, I think if we accept as the norm and the press themselves amplify this message that it is not acceptable to lose a life when one can actually save that life.

“We will begin to see change and we call on all health workers to prioritise saving lives.”