The Kano state Commissioner of Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, made the assertion while inaugurating the standing committee on ethics and discipline on health.
In a statement by the ministry’s information offer Ibrahim Abdullahi, said the Kano state government received considerable complaints accusing fingers on some health practitioners of unprofessional practices that drag patients into untold hardships.
He therefore said, patinent to this the Kano state government constituted a committee to tackle the issue.Furthermore, he explained that Dr. Labaran assured that the ministry wouldn’t fold up its arms and allow the lives of people to be threatened unabated.
The commissioner, added “It is imperative upon my humble self to form a standing committee that supervises the health affairs to key in into any issues affecting our society to intervene.
I wish to inform the people of Kano state that their life is very significant in the sight of Kano state governor His Excellency, Abba Kabor Yusuf and as custodians of the health sector, it is our responsibility to safeguard it,” he emphasized.
He then charged members of the committee to work diligently without fear to protect the well-being of the people by not allowing violations of ethics and standards of practice to affect the lives of the people.
Besides that, he charged them to look into the case of the diversion of patients rampantly reported from government facilities to private, and other things they believe will assist the government in achieving its positive objectives designed to improve the healthcare system.
Nevertheless, the committee would be entertaining disciplinary cases from both public and private facilities for the betterment of the system that everybody would be proud of, as its members were of the highest caliber and had been strategically selected based on their track record of services to humanity.
While speaking shortly after the integration the Chairman of the Committee who is also the Director General of the Private Health Institutions Management Agency (PHIMA), Prof. Salisu Ahmad Ibrahim, promised that they will do their best to checkmate laxity and other unprofessional practices hampering the health of the people in both government-owned and private health facilities.
He however, lauded the Commissioner for entrusting them with the responsibility, assured him that they would discharge the assignment with objectivity devoid of favor, and whoever was found guilty would be punished according to the standard rules and regulations of the medical best practices.
The Members of the Committee include the Executive Secretary of the Hospitals Management Board Dr. Mansur Mudi Nagoda, Coordinator of the Kano State Centre for Disease Control Prof. Muhammad A. Abbas and the Chairman Ethics and Disciplinary Committee of the Nigerian Medical Association Kano State Branch, Prof. Usman Idris Takai.
Others are the Director of Medical Services of the Ministry Dr. Shehu Abdullahi Usman, Pharm. Aliyu Adamu a retired civil servant, Dr. Tanko Zakari from the Guild of Medical Directors, Rep. from the Joint Health Sector Union Nigeria (JUHESU), while the Director of Nursing Services of the Ministry Abdullahi Garba Harbau would serve as the Secretary.