FMC: Clamour For Substantive MD Mounts

A group, under the aegis of Good Life For Ijaw People (GLFIP), has slammed the federal government over the delay in the appointment of a substantive medical director for the Federal Medical Center, Yenagoa in Bayelsa State.

In a statement yesterday, the president of GLFIP, Tamunoemi Mindiwari, said that despite the screening of three candidates with scores and recommendations made on who is most qualified to be appointed medical director of the institution by the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Health, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC), the president Tinubu led federal government remained reluctant to appoint a medical director to the detriment of the institution.

Mindiwari stated that since the completion of the two-term tenure of the former medical director, Dr Dennis Allagoa, on March 10, 2023, the federal government appointed an acting medical director to oversee the affairs of the hospital thereby playing politics with the health of Ijaw people.

He explained that the powers of the acting medical director were limited, adding that for the hospital to operate optimally for better healthcare services for the people of Ijaw land, the federal government owed the Ijaw people a duty to appoint a substantive medical director of the health facility.

Mindiwari stressed that seven other Federal Medical Centers where candidates were screened and recommended at the same time have since been appointed and functioning effectively.

“We want to plead with President Tinubu to appoint the best amongst the three screened consultants as the substantive medical director to enable the people of Bayelsa State to enjoy the facility”, he stated.

Mindiwari, however, said Good Life for Ijaw people, as a pressure group, believed in the Renewed Hope mantra of President Bola Tinubu will make something  happen,” he said.