By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
The Delta State Government has dismissed several health workers for extorting money from pregnant women and children under five years, despite the state’s free healthcare policy for these groups. Others were demoted for related offences.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Onojaeme, disclosed this on Saturday during the launch of the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiatives (MAMII) Project Action Plan at Ashaka, Ndokwa East Local Government Area.
He said intensified monitoring of hospitals revealed that some workers collected money from vulnerable patients for drugs while still submitting the bills to government for payment.
“Health workers in the state have done well, but in every twelve, there is a Judas,” Onojaeme remarked. “We have received reports of extortion, and within this short period, we have demoted some and sacked many.”
The commissioner stressed that the state covers medical expenses of all pregnant women until delivery, as well as free treatment for children under five. He urged residents to report any health worker demanding illegal payments, noting that a hotline would soon be made public for complaints.
Onojaeme further revealed that Delta’s maternal mortality rate had dropped from over 200 to less than 120 per 100,000 live births, expressing optimism that the MAMII Project would further reduce the figures.
Representing the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. John Ovuoraye reaffirmed the Federal Government’s support for states in tackling maternal and neonatal deaths. He disclosed that 172 local governments across 33 states had been identified as high-risk, including five in Delta: Ndokwa East, Ughelli North, Aniocha North, Udu, and Sapele.
Backed by President Bola Tinubu, the MAMII Project is being implemented in collaboration with USAID, WHO, UNICEF, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank, and several European partners. At the event, Delta State received the MAMII plaque, while a task force was inaugurated to drive the project’s action plan.