Dr. Matthias Etim, a medical doctor at Cottage Hospital Ukana in Essien Udim Local Government Area, and the hospital’s Head of Pharmacy have been slated to appear before a disciplinary committee of the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Health over alleged professional and administrative breaches.

Dr. Etim is accused of being absent during duty calls and failing to respond to official queries in line with civil service regulations. The Head of Pharmacy has been asked to explain why his unit could not provide essential statutory records, including stock registers, inventory logs, and records of drug indebtedness.

The directives were issued by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ekem John Emmanuel, during an inspection of the hospital alongside senior officials, including Dr. Abraham Inyangudo, Permanent Secretary of the Hospitals Management Board, and Dr. Arthur Igbemi, Permanent Secretary of the Akwa Ibom Health Insurance Agency.

The Commissioner noted that the hospital’s Medical Superintendent, Dr. Ekong Etiebet, had previously briefed the ministry on professional lapses, prompting the decision to refer the matter to the Senior Staff Management Committee for investigation and appropriate disciplinary measures.

“This inspection was prompted by intelligence reports from the Ministry’s Ombudsman Unit, which tracks public complaints against health workers following the state of emergency declared by Governor Umo Eno,” Dr. Emmanuel said.

He also highlighted concerns over financial inconsistencies at the hospital, stating that immediate action would be taken. The pharmacist in question has been redeployed to another government facility pending further review.

In addition, the Commissioner announced plans to standardize all hospital service charges—including medications and surgical procedures—across government hospitals by mid-January 2026. “A patient should not pay ₦70,000 for a procedure in one hospital and ₦150,000 in another. Uniform pricing will protect patients and eliminate overbilling,” he said.

Dr. Emmanuel further disclosed that all government hospitals would henceforth procure drugs exclusively from the State Central Medical Store, ending purchases from external vendors. Any breach of this directive would be considered a punishable offence.