By MERCY NEME

The Delta Government has sanctioned, demoted, redeployed and dismissed health workers for absenteeism.

Dr Gloria Ferife, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the ministry’s budget defence meeting in Asaba on Wednesday.

Ferife warned that the ministry would not tolerate dereliction of duty, especially in rural communities, stressing that healthcare workers should remain at their duty posts and provide services to residents.

“Our governor does not tolerate such behaviour. Some persons have been sanctioned, some have been demoted, some redeployed, while some have been completely sacked,” she said.

She urged health workers to remember the reasons they joined the service and discharge their responsibilities diligently.

“We are appealing to them to remember the reason why they took up the job in the first instance and ensure that they do what they have been paid to do,” she said.

The permanent secretary said the ministry periodically reshuffled personnel to prevent workers from remaining in the same communities, particularly hard-to-reach areas, for excessively long periods.

She said the government was also intensifying the revitalisation of Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) through improved infrastructure, electricity, staffing and equipment.

According to her, the initiative, which commenced in 2025, will be sustained and extended to more facilities across the state.

Ferife disclosed that about 41 PHCs had received solar power installations, with plans to extend the intervention to ensure 24-hour electricity supply.

“We are going to do more so that any primary healthcare centre can have light 24 hours,” she said.

She added that the government was working to recruit additional health workers and replace personnel who had retired or left the service.

The ministry is also making plans to provide more medical equipment to healthcare facilities and strengthen workers’ capacity through continuous training,” she said.

Ferife said the interventions were designed to improve healthcare delivery and ensure that primary healthcare facilities remained functional.

She identified solarisation, adequate staffing, equipment provision, monitoring and supervision as key components of the revitalisation programme.

The permanent secretary disclosed that Delta currently had 40 functioning PHCs, adding that the government was working to improve their operational capacities. (NAN)