The Akwa Ibom State Government has accused two medical consultants of abandoning their duty posts despite enjoying full sponsorship for training and other incentives provided by the state.
Commissioner for Health, Prof. Ekem Emmanuel John, made the disclosure while briefing journalists on the reforms in the health sector following the state of emergency declared by Governor Umo Eno.
According to him, the consultants—a radiologist and a haematologist—failed to resume duty after completing their government-funded residency training. One of them, he alleged, had relocated to Lagos while still drawing salaries from the state and holding another full-time job, which he described as a criminal offence.
Prof. Ekem said the governor had already approved the recruitment of 2,000 health workers, the largest in the state’s history, to address manpower gaps. He linked the recent d+ath of a mother and her newborn at Ikot Ekpene General Hospital to the absence of the assigned consultant, stressing that the facility was adequately staffed with doctors except for radiology.
He further explained that under civil service rules, doctors on study leave without pay are entitled to resume their positions on completion, while those sponsored on paid study leave must serve the state for the equivalent number of years they trained. Failure to do so requires refunding all salaries earned during the training period.
“The government invests heavily to train doctors, and it is dishonest for them to abandon their duty after receiving such support. Anybody who wants to ‘japa’ is free to do so, but not with state resources,” he stated.
Prof. Ekem urged the public not to blame the government for such lapses but to hold defaulting professionals accountable, adding that the administration remains committed to repositioning the health sector and ensuring residents have access to reliable and quality care.
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