The Abia State Government has announced plans to sanction primary healthcare workers who fail to report to their duty posts, warning that absenteeism will no longer be tolerated. The declaration was made by Deputy Governor Ikechukwu Emetu during a Primary Healthcare Taskforce meeting held at the Government House in Umuahia.
Emetu stated that the government will halt the salaries of any healthcare worker found absent from work, stressing that with the ongoing renovation of over 200 primary healthcare centres across the state, there is no room for negligence. He also condemned the continued reliance on traditional birth practices, which he said contribute significantly to high maternal and neonatal mortality rates, adding that the state is working to curb such practices.
Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Uzor Nwachukwu, emphasized the need for stronger collaboration between state healthcare workers and local government authorities. He said that planned meetings with local government chairmen would focus on strategies to improve rural healthcare access and ensure the successful implementation of state health programs.
Echoing the government’s stance, the Executive Secretary of the Abia State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Kalu U. Kalu, warned that the agency’s inspectorate division will take disciplinary action against absentee staff, as their conduct undermines the government’s efforts to revive the primary healthcare system. The meeting was also attended by representatives of the World Health Organization and other health sector stakeholders.
