The chief Medical Director of the Federal Medical Center owerri Dr Angela Uwakwem has began moves to punish radiologist, Pharmacist and laboratory scientists under her employ for taking part in the JOHESU Strike that brought the health sector to its knees last year.

 

In a memo obtained by a nursingworld nigeria correspondent tony Ijeoma which was dated April 24 2015 and titled "Request for boards consideration and approval for Public private partnership in radiology, pharmacy and laboratory deparments of the centre", Dr Angela Uwakwem  queried the loyalty of the radiographers and radiologists accusing them of paying more attention to JOHESU demands. The laboratory department was not left out as she accused  them of same problems highlighted above, insisting that the revolving funds have not performed optimally as there are lots of leakages. 

 

The pharmacists were also accused of not being transparent in their professional roles. She accused them of unhealthy practices in the management, controls of stocks and funds. According to her, the situation where the departments requests, procures and uses items is not satisfactory claiming that as the user department, they cannot request, procure, receive supplies, dispense and account for usuage all by themselves. Her plan for the pharmacists who would be  dispensed off would be the option of companies warehousing drugs and the hospitals paying on a monthly basis what has been consumed.

 

She called for a competitive bidding process, where the centre would find partners who will be willing to co-invest in the running of these businesses while the centre contributes her manpower, infrastructure, clientele. According to her, the revenue sharing will be determined by the extent of contribution that would be worked out by a committee.

 

She appealed to the board to approve that the hosptial explore the promotion of revenue generation in the pharmacy, laboratory and radiology departments using the public private paternship (PPP) option. You would recall that secretreporters reported that from the minutes of the meeting attended by top management committee, she is being supported by the head of nursing service who is her ally. The blog also claims that a multi million amenity complex built in the hospital has already been outsourced to a retired nurse who is her friend with a silent agreement of financial gains. It went further to add that the laboratory will be outsoured to Darlex lab limited owned by a former senator Eze Ajoku

 

The pharmacy unit has already being outsourced partially as staffs under the NHIS can no longer get drugs at cheaper rate from the NHIS pharmacy store. Her own constituency of Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) are at daggers drawn with her over her corrupt practice and dictatorial style. Workers are no longer entitled to call food despite staying overnight to care for patients.

 

Click HERE to view the Internal Memo