By RismadarVoice Reporter
December 6, 2025
Akwa Ibom State Government has confirmed the dismissal of a doctor and a nurse following the deaths of a pregnant woman and her newborn at the General Hospital, Ikot Ekpene, a tragedy that did not just claim lives, but exposed the fragile state of accountability in Nigeria’s public health system.
Commissioner for Health, Ekem John, disclosed the decision while receiving an award from the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Akwa Ibom State Council.
According to him, the two health workers were absent from duty when the woman in active labour was rushed to the hospital months ago.
Their absence cost two lives.
The case has reopened a national wound: why do Nigerians still die from preventable complications in government hospitals?
And more importantly, does firing health workers solve the deeper problems of systemic failure?
Beyond outright dismissal, the commissioner revealed that other health workers have been demoted and sanctioned after appearing before the Civil Service Commission’s disciplinary committee.
While this signals a new tone of accountability, critics are asking hard questions: is discipline becoming policy, or just reaction?
The Ikot Ekpene deaths triggered widespread outrage, with civil society groups and professional bodies demanding transparency, reform and consequences.
To many Nigerians, the incident represents more than negligence, it is a symbol of weak supervision, staff absenteeism and slow emergency response in public hospitals.
Governor Umo Eno had earlier declared a state of emergency in the health sector, promising sweeping reforms.
Part of that response includes a recently approved pay raise for health workers, which took effect from 1 November.
Interestingly, the commissioner insists that Akwa Ibom doctors now earn at least 40 per cent more than their federal counterparts, arguing that improved welfare eliminates excuses for negligence.
But this is where the national debate becomes uncomfortable:
If doctors are better paid, why are patients still neglected? If sanctions are enforced, why do families still lose loved ones? Is the problem really individual negligence, or a system stretched beyond its limits?
The government says rules must be obeyed. Nigerians are asking a tougher question: when will public hospitals become places of safety instead of stories of survival and loss?
The dismissal of two health workers may offer closure. But for many families, the real healing will come when childbirth in Nigeria stops feeling like a gamble with death.
