The Bauchi State Government has uncovered more than 100 ghost health workers across its facilities, exposing widespread payroll fraud in the health sector.
The discovery was announced on Thursday in Bauchi by the Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Hospital Management Board, Mr. Sambo Alkali, who said those involved would face sanctions in line with civil service rules.
Alkali explained that the ghost workers were identified during a recent verification exercise carried out in five health facilities. He added that the names of the culprits would be forwarded to Governor Bala Mohammed for appropriate action.
“We are currently working on a verification exercise to fish out all the ghost workers people have been talking about,” Alkali told journalists at a news conference. “Recently, we conducted one in five facilities and uncovered more than 100 ghost health workers whose names will ultimately be submitted to the governor.”
The chairman noted that the state government is also tackling the shortage of medical doctors, which he described as a global challenge. He said Governor Mohammed had approved a scheme under which more than 40 doctors — including consultants and medical officers — have been recruited and deployed based on facility needs and data analysis.
He described the model, known as a “pull system,” as one that not only attracts qualified professionals but also ensures they supervise health facilities across the state.
“We were mandated by the governor to carry out a gap analysis to improve service delivery,” Alkali said.
He further revealed that Governor Mohammed had directed the state health committee to design a new healthcare scheme of service to address salary disparities. The plan, he explained, would align the salaries of Bauchi health workers with those of their federal counterparts, making the state more attractive to medical professionals.
“The scheme is on the verge of completion and will soon be submitted to the governor for onward implementation,” he added.
