The Niger State government has warned that it will not hesitate to disengage any healthcare worker who indulges in the hoarding and sales of free medical commodities provided by the Global Fund to facilities.

Speaking during an advocacy visit by the Civil Society on Malaria Control, Immunisation and Nutrition (ACOMIN), the Director, Health Information Management/Planning Research and Statistics, Hospital Management Board (HMB), Ministry of Secondary and Tertiary Health, Suleiman Makusudi, said so much has been expended on most facilities and we can not afford to allow unscrupulous activities.

According to him, “anything that will affect the state negatively, I will not tolerate it. All our staff must justify whatever they are engaged in doing. We will not hesitate to penalise any staff, and I can assure you that I will hold any facility officials responsible for any default.”

Also, during the ACOMIN Quarterly coordinated meeting, the Program Manager, State Malaria Elimination Program, Niger state Ministry of Secondary and Tertiary Health, Mrs Amina Edward Zimro, urged that the Health workers must explain to patients which drugs are free and those to be sold.

According to her, “malaria commodities from Global Fund are free and should not be sold to patients. Please draw our attention to any case and we will take it up with the worker and indeed that facility”.

She commended the CBOs for all their findings in their various facilities of operations, adding that any services that are not provided should be made known to the state government so that they can be addressed swiftly.

Earlier, State Coordinator, ACOMIN, Mr Olasukanmi Kalejaiye drew the attention of the Director to the attitude of health care workers and urged him to help monitor the Global Fund commodities, adding that, “some of the workers usually sell the products to patients”.

“We want all secondary health facilities to be covered under the Global Fund project implemented by ACOMIN, and we want the HMB to play the oversight roles to see that the facilities covered by the Community Based Organisations CBOs are assisted with data reporting, commodity utilisation and client exit interviews at the facilities.”

Also, the Program Officer of King’s Initiative, Adewale Ayobami, lamented that some of the secondary facilities (General Hospitals) are selling drugs that are meant to be free to patients.