Naira crunch: Zulum orders Govt hospitals to give patients free drugs

Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno has directed the release of drugs worth N300 million and other medical supplies to government hospitals for free distribution to patients most of whom were facing difficulties in making payments due to scarcity of new and old naira notes.

The Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Prof. Mohammed Arab, made this known while unveiling the drugs in Maiduguri.

Arab said that 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 Local Government to prepare procedural papers to receive their allocations for immediate deployment of the drugs and other supplies.

Arab said 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.

”Officials will rely on patients to be honest because as Zulum noted. We know some people may have money and still demand free drugs by pretending they have none.

”We cannot refuse those in need because of a few dishonest people,” he said.

Arab on behalf of health workers across the state, thanked Zulum for coming to the aid of patients at a critical period, a move which he described as “humane”.

Speaking on behalf of other medical directors, the medical director of the State Specialist Hospital, Dr. BabaShehu Mohammed, appreciated the government’s gesture.

“We feel pained seeing patients unable to pay for diagnoses or buy drugs,” he said.