By Olukayode Michael, Maiduguri
Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara turned up at 2 a.m at a public hospital in the state capital Maiduguri to meet no doctor on call.
Annoyed by the absence of the doctors, the governor threatened disciplinary action against absentee doctors.
A press statement by the spokesman of the governor, Mallam Isa Gusau on Tuesday read: “Although medical doctors normally address health troubles, this time around, some doctors are the ones in trouble after Borno’s Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum showed up 2am at the State Specialist and Umaru Shehu hospitals, both in Maiduguri.
“The Governor found out that none of the medical doctors on duty, was available at Umaru Shehu even as one of the doctors who lives within the hospital’s staff quarters did not respond to several telephone calls placed on his numbers on the Governor’s instruction.”
Gusau said on arrival the governor went round all wards and met 10 nurses out of the 135 working at the hospital with none of the 19 resident doctors including two of those said to be ‘on call’ around.
He said the governor immediately ordered the hospital’s medical director whom he put a call, insisting on disciplinary action be taken against the absentee doctors.
Gusau said the governor wondered what could have been the situation if any outside or admitted patients had emergency situation which required the urgent attention of medical doctors.
Gusau said: “Thirty minutes earlier (1:30am), Professor Zulum had paid similar surprise visit to the state specialist hospital also in Maiduguri. While going round the emergency, maternity, male and female surgical wards, paediatric and orthopedic wards, the Governor found in the hospital, all the four resident doctors on call alongside some nurses and pharmacists.”
The governor has formed an habit of playing unscheduled visits to public institutions in the state.
He had since inaugurated to office two months ago paid unscheduled visits to the state secretariat, schools, and water treatment plants.