The Bauchi State Government has uncovered more than 100 ghost workers in the health sector and vowed to punish those involved in line with civil service rules.
Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Hospital Management Board, Sambo Alkali, made the revelation during a press briefing in Bauchi on Thursday. He disclosed that the names of the fraudulent workers would be submitted to Governor Bala Mohammed for necessary disciplinary action.
“We are currently conducting a thorough verification exercise to identify ghost workers. In five of our health facilities alone, we discovered over 100 names that do not correspond to real staff. These will be forwarded to the governor for appropriate action,” Alkali stated.
He noted that while the state continues to battle the global shortage of medical doctors, Governor Bala Mohammed has already approved a special recruitment scheme, which has brought in nearly 40 doctors ranging from consultants to medical officers. The doctors were carefully selected and deployed based on available data to improve healthcare delivery.
Alkali explained that the system is designed to ensure accountability, as the new recruits also supervise hospital facilities and provide oversight. In addition, the governor mandated a comprehensive gap analysis to address service challenges in the state’s healthcare sector.
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As part of broader reforms, the government is working on a healthcare scheme of service aimed at aligning the salaries of Bauchi health workers with those of their federal counterparts. The plan, according to Alkali, is nearing completion and will soon be presented to the governor for approval.
The Commissioner for Health, Muhammed Dambam, also reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to combating malnutrition. He revealed that Bauchi is collaborating with partners to establish a ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) program for children and pledged improved funding for essential drugs and medical consumables.
Dambam said the government has earmarked N250 million for the state’s drugs and consumables agency this year, matching the amount released in 2024, as part of its efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery and reduce child malnutrition.
