By Ismail Auwal
Over 300 staff of Khalifa Isyaka Rabiu Paediatric Hospital have cried out over the decision of the administration of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State to termination of appointments.
Some of the affected workers, who spoke to newsmen in Kano, explained that they were engaged by Northfield Services Limited on behalf of the Kano State Government for five years.
They added that the terms of the offer of appointment expressively said that whoever would eventually to take over the management of the pediatric hospital after five years would also take over the staff contracted by Northfield Services Limited.
The hospital was started by the former governor of the state, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, and was completed by the Ganduje administration of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje during his first tenure.
The multi-billion naira Hospital commenced full operation in November 2018, with the state government employing professional medical personnel to manage the facility.
The Ganduje administration presenting offers of appointment to 140 medical and paramedical personnel employed by the government through Northfield Services, as the day-to-day managers of the facilities.
SAHELIAN TIMES gathered that the management of Northfield Health Services Limited on Monday obtained an interim court order mandating that the staff of the hospital vacate the hospital immediately.
The staff have since complied with the order, thereby disrupting the care of the patients.
The action of the government, in sealing up the facility abruptly, spread fear and panic among the patients and their relations with them.
The sight of panic-stricken women, some of who broke down in tears, was pathetic to behold.
In a particularly touching incident, it took the intervention of some medical staff, who insisted on ethical rights to be allowed to conduct surgical operations on a patient.
However, it was unclear if there was any loss of life directly or indirectly due to the sudden directive to chase away the various workers in the hospital.
Abdulmalik Ahmed Yola of Tri-NASR, who is the solicitor of the Northfield Health Services Limited, in an interview with our reporter said that the matter was already a court of competent jurisdiction and so could not comment on the subject.
The response from the Kano State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa to calls by our reporter was still being awaited at the time of filing this report.
