December 07, (THEWILL) – Following the lens-selling racket discovered at the state-owned eye clinic, the Akwa Ibom state ministry of health yesterday set up a seven-man committee to investigate the crime.
It was reported that lens were being sold to patients in the state-owned facility without proper diagnosis and prescription by an optometrist or opthalmologist.
The committee was given three weeks to investigate and submit a report to the state government. It is headed by the director of medical services and made up of members drawn from departments in the ministry.
Speaking to our correspondent in Uyo on Tuesday, one of the nurses in the clinic, who pleaded anonymity, described the media reports of a lens-selling racket as unfounded and unreliable.
“The section of the report alleging that the permanent secretary in the Ministry Dr Patrick Eshiet has personal relationship with nurses in the clinic to allow them sell lenses to patients is unfounded.
“The permanent secretary is not such a person that could allow such malpractice to thrive under his watch.
“We know him very well. He has put many things in place to ensure that things work in the clinic, including ensuring that qualified doctors and nurses are sent to the clinic.
“Besides, he is a happy family man that has integrity, well respected within and outside this ministry. Whoever that blackmails him has hurt an innocent man.
“The ministry is big and things may happen without his knowledge as his work scope and schedule is enormous. Indeed. He is a good man. Nobody should soil his image,” he maintained.
“There could be some misdemeanour in the system unknown to him but once he spot them, he would clean up. The permanent secretary is a very intelligent technocrat that we have here,” the nurse added.
A recent visit by THEWILL’s correspondent to the State Eye Clinic shows that normalcy has returned. Nurses, who hitherto posed as doctors to conduct illegal deals, were seen wearing their uniforms, while Point Of Sales (POS) machines and flex banners used for the racket were nowhere to be found.
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