Kano Hospitals Board Fires 3, Suspends 3 Others Over Patients’ Extortion

The Executive Secretary, Kano State Hospitals Management Board, Dr Mansur Nagoda has announced the sack of three personnel of Kabo General Hospital over allegation of charging patients N12,000 for X-ray as against the approved hospital price of N2,000.

A statement on Monday by the Public Relation Officer, Hospitals Management Board, Samira Suleiman, in Kano said the Board also approved the suspension of the Accountant, Auditor and Head of Laboratory for selling the free HIV test kits given to health facilities by the state government.

Individuals affected by the decisions have also been asked to report to the Board Headquarters for further disciplinary actions.

Suleiman added that both punitive measures are with immediate effect.

The personnel were caught during an unscheduled executive supervision visit to the facility with the team made up of the Executive Secretary HMB, DG KNCDC Dr. Muhammad Abbas and the DG of SAKA Dr. Usman Bashir.

The team expressed total dissatisfaction with what they met on ground and referred to it as an act of sabotage.

“Three officers of the X-ray units where caught charging patients N12,000 for X-ray against the approved hospital price of N2,000 and no documents to show as evidence of payment leaving the facility to carry out less than 10 X-rays per week despite the fact that the 2 X-ray batteries are functional,” the ES HMB said.

He then approved the immediate dismissal of the officers on grounds of excessive extortion of patients.

Furthermore, Dr Nagoda explained that the Labour Ward of the hospital was not in shape with no bedsheets on the beds, no compound officer; saying the equipments donated by a philanthropist four years ago to the facility, and others donated during COVID-19 were all dumped.

“This act needs to stop. This decision we took should serve as deterrent to others. We took an oath, so we will stick to that oath and sanitize the health system,” he vowed.

He then called on every officer to sit up, pledging that those with skeleton in their cupboard should note that executive supervision is ongoing with full force while noting that anyone caught will have himself or herself to blame.