Directors Move Against Newly Appointed Hospital Heads

Some directors in the Ministry of Health have begun subtle moves to stall the presentation of appointment letters to newly appointed heads of medical institutions in the country.

President Bola Tinubu had, last week, approved the appointment of 13 heads of medical institutions nationwide as part of measures to reposition the healthcare delivery system in the country.

In an official communication conveying the president’s directive, the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, urged the Federal Ministry of Health to issue confirmation letters to the newly appointed heads of medical institutions.

However, a credible source told LEADERSHIP that some directors in the Federal Ministry of Health who wanted to be appointed as heads of the health institutions, are bent on frustrating the release of appointment letters to some of the appointees.

But the director of press in the ministry, Patricia Deworitshe, told LEADERSHIP that there were no such moves.

“Not to my knowledge. I am not aware,” Deworitshe said when contacted for a response.

It would be recalled that in a letter conveying the appointment of the health institutions, SGF stated  “ You are requested to please issue appropriate letters of appointment, prescribing other terms of engagement.

“Please accept the assurances of my esteemed regards. Please note that a copy of the appointment letter issued should be forwarded to this office for record purposes.”

Those appointed include Professor Mangwa J. Kortar, as the Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre in Makurdi, Benue State; Professor Robinson Chukwudi Onoh as Chief Medical Director of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, and Dr. Nurudeen Isa as the medical director of the National Orthopaedic Hospital in Dala, Kano State.

Others are Professor Nyandanti Wilberforce, Professor Issa Baba Awoye, Umar Faruk Abdulmajid, Dr. Muhammad Shittu Adamu, Prof. Shua’aibu Jauro Yahya, Dr. Mercy Arugwu, and Prof. Auwalu Sani Salihu, among others.