The Delta State Government has dismissed and demoted several health workers found guilty of extorting money from pregnant women and children under the age of five for drugs, despite the state’s free healthcare policy.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Onojaeme, made this disclosure on Saturday during the flag-off of the Maternal And Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation And Initiatives (MAMII) Project Action Plan in Ashaka, Ndokwa East Local Government Area.

Onojaeme emphasized that maternal and child healthcare in Delta State is free, stressing that all pregnant women are entitled to free medical services from conception until delivery, while children under five years of age also benefit from free treatment.

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Commending the dedication of the majority of health workers, the commissioner revealed that some had been sanctioned for illegally collecting payments from patients while still forwarding the bills to the government for reimbursement.

“Health workers in the state have done well, but in every twelve, there is a Judas. We have received reports of some collecting money from pregnant women and children under five for drugs while still forwarding the bills to the government for payment,” Onojaeme stated.

He assured that the government would intensify monitoring to ensure that all funds allocated for maternal and child healthcare are properly utilized. He urged residents to report any health worker demanding payment, noting that the phone number of the Executive Assistant to the Governor on Health Monitoring would soon be made public for such complaints.

Onojaeme expressed optimism that the MAMII initiative would help further reduce maternal and child mortality in the state. He revealed that maternal mortality figures in Delta State had dropped significantly from over 200 to fewer than 120 deaths per 100,000 live births.

According to Daily Post, the representative of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. John Ovuoraye, also speaking at the event, pledged the Federal Government’s support to the states in tackling maternal and neonatal mortality.

Ovuoraye disclosed that 172 local government areas in 33 states have been identified as high-risk zones for maternal and neonatal deaths, including five in Delta State—Ndokwa East, Ughelli North, Aniocha North, Udu, and Sapele.

He noted that the MAMII Project, championed by President Bola Tinubu, is being implemented in collaboration with international partners such as USAID, WHO, UNICEF, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank, and several European development agencies.