The Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Health has summoned a medical doctor and the head of the pharmacy unit at the Cottage Hospital, Ukana in Essien Udim Local Government Area of the state to appear before its disciplinary committee over allegations of administrative and professional misconduct.
The action followed a briefing by the hospital’s Medical Superintendent, Dr. Ekong Etiebet, to the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ekem John, during an official inspection visit to the facility on Friday.
Dr. John, who was accompanied by senior ministry officials, said the visit uncovered several administrative and professional lapses that necessitated immediate disciplinary measures against the affected officers.
The commissioner said the inspection was triggered by reports received from the ministry ombudsman unit.
He revealed that Dr. Etiebet informed him that a medical officer, Dr. Matthias Etim, absented himself from duty while on call and subsequently failed to respond to official queries issued in accordance with civil service regulations.
“On December 19, 2025, a formal query was issued to Dr. Matthias Etim over his absence from duty while on call, an incident that also generated a complaint to the ministry’s public complaint lines.
“He refused to respond. After the hospital management board sought clarification, a second query was issued, which was also ignored,” the commissioner said.
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Based on the briefing and documentary evidence presented, Dr. John directed that Dr. Etim appear before the senior staff management committee of the hospital’s management board for interrogation and appropriate disciplinary action.
“We expect the committee’s report on this matter before the end of next week,” he directed.
The commissioner further disclosed that the inspection exposed serious lapses in pharmaceutical accounting and inventory management at the hospital.
He said the pharmacy unit failed to present essential statutory documents, including stock registers, inventory records and indebtedness logs.
Expressing concern over the findings, Dr. John described the irregularities as alarming and inimical to the state government’s health reform agenda.
Consequently, the commissioner ordered the immediate redeployment of the pharmacist heading the unit to another government health facility, pending further administrative review.
As of the time of filing this report, efforts to reach the affected medical officers proved abortive.
