Naira Scarcity: Borno gov’t offers drugs worth N300 million to patients

The Borno State Government said it will release medical supplies and drugs worth N300 million to some of its hospitals for free distribution to patients in view of the current naira crunch in the country.

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Mohammed Arab, commissioner for health and human services, disclose this on Thursday while unveiling the drugs in Maiduguri, the state capital.

Arab said the supplies include drugs for prevalent illnesses, maternal delivery kits, and other medical essentials.

He said medical directors and principal medical officers of public healthcare centres in Maiduguri metropolitan council and Jere Local Government Area (LGA) have been directed to prepare procedural papers to receive their allocations for immediate deployment of the drugs and other supplies.

Arab said the drugs must be given free to patients that have no money at hand or those that have problems accessing funds to pay for their service.

“Officials will rely on patients to be honest because as Zulum noted, some people may have money and still demand free drugs by pretending they have none,” Arab said.

“We cannot refuse those in need because of a few dishonest people.”

The commissioner, on behalf of health workers in the state, thanked Governor Zulum for coming to the aid of patients, a move which he described as “humane”.

BabaShehu Mohammed, medical director of the State Specialist Hospital, also appreciated the government’s gesture.

“We feel pained seeing patients unable to pay for diagnoses or buy drugs,” he said.

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