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The University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) in Rivers State has taken decisive steps to strengthen transparency and efficiency, announcing the suspension of salaries for about 1,000 workers following a comprehensive staff audit.
The Chief Medical Director, Chituru Orluwene, made this known on Monday during a press briefing to mark his first 100 days in office, describing the exercise as a critical reform aimed at sanitising the hospital system.
According to him, upon assumption of office as the 8th CMD, the hospital lacked a proper nominal roll, despite having over 4,000 names on its payroll. A preliminary assessment, however, revealed that only about 2,000 staff members were physically present and actively working.
This discrepancy, he explained, prompted the immediate commencement of a verification exercise to determine the actual workforce and establish an accurate personnel database for the institution.
Following the exercise, about 2,000 workers could not be verified, leading management to halt salary payments to over 1,000 individuals pending further review and necessary action.
Prof. Orluwene noted that the audit has already yielded positive results, including the recovery of funds and the identification of systemic inefficiencies that had long undermined the hospital’s operations.
He stressed that eliminating “ghost workers” is essential to repositioning the hospital for optimal service delivery, adding that the findings have been forwarded to the Federal Government for further directives, including possible recruitment of qualified personnel.
The CMD also highlighted efforts to block revenue leakages within the system, aligning with the reform-driven agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
As part of broader reforms, he disclosed that hospital and mortuary charges have been reviewed downward to ease the financial burden on patients, while new welfare measures, including in-patient feeding at a regulated cost of N5,000 for three meals daily, have been introduced.
In a bid to tackle corruption, the hospital has also banned the use of personal Point of Sale (POS) machines by staff for unofficial payments, a practice previously linked to financial irregularities.
Addressing environmental concerns, particularly the prevalence of mosquitoes within the hospital, Prof. Orluwene revealed that extensive sanitation measures have been carried out.
These include the evacuation of over 40 truckloads of waste from soakaway pits, repairs of damaged underground pipes, and improved drainage systems—steps that have already led to a noticeable reduction in mosquito infestation.
Reaffirming his commitment to impactful leadership, the CMD stated that his administration would prioritise practical solutions over rhetoric, pledging an open-door policy and sustained reforms to restore public confidence in the institution.
