The management of Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Bida, Niger State, says it has paid outstanding death benefits to the families of 32 deceased personnel since 2021.
Dr Usman Abubakar, Managing Director (MD) of the hospital, stated this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Bida.
Abubakar, while giving his scorecard of service within the last three years, said that the figure was out of the backlog of 42 such benefits inherited from his predecessors.
The MD said that efforts were ongoing to pay the benefits to families of the remaining ten deceased personnel.
“One touching case was that of our staff who died and as we were to pay the benefit, we discovered that the next-of-kin had also died. We had to trace the mother to the their village gave her the entitlement for the deceased staff.
“Honestly, the woman had to look for my phone number and called to appreciate our effort.
“She was so surprised that her child had died, the next-of-kin also died and we were still able to trace her, and I told her it is her entitlement,” he said.
Abubakar said that the gesture was part of his sustained efforts to shore up the provision of a myriad of welfare packages to the staffers of the hospital.
He maintained that the management was not owing the staff member any allowance, and had also started the payment of uniform allowance and as well working towards clearing the backlog inherited.
The MD added that he also introduced rural allowances to the staff in the centre’s cottage in hospitals in Lambata and Zungeru.
This, he said, was to motivate the members of staff there to diligently discharge their duties.
In the same vein, the MD said that he had cleared all inherited arrears of promotion allowances.
“We have cleared the 13 months backlog of promotion allowances inherited and we are up-to-date in the payment,” he said.
According to him, the management has also reintroduced the end-of- year celebration, with 50 hard working workers recognised in 2023, with stipends given to them.
“We will sustain the gesture to bolster productivity.
“We have also prioritised attendance of conferences, course and seminars to make our staff members to be in tune with current trends,” he said.
Abubakar said that management had revived the staff welfare loan that was sabotage before he came on board as some staff members refused to pay back the loan.
“On assumption of office, we were able to recover substantial amount. People can now access this loan with a very low interest rate of 4 percent, in line with government policy, and members of staff are currently enjoying the loan,” he said.
The MD also said that the hospital had employed more hands, especially frontline worker effective and efficient service delivery. (NAN)
