Health Commissioner Moves to Curb Truancy with Biometric Monitoring

…says initiative will improve staff discipline, enhance safety Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ekem Emmanuel John, has announced the deployment of a biometric attendance and electronic access control system at the Ministry’s headquarters as part of reforms to strengthen staff discipline, enhance workplace safety and improve operational accountability.

The Commissioner disclosed this during a safety audit visit by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Health, Safety and Environment, Mrs. Jayne Ufot, and her team of safety professionals. Dr. John explained that the biometric monitoring system, which is currently being test-run at the Ministry’s headquarters, is designed to regulate access into the building, track staff attendance in real time and improve emergency response coordination. According to him, both entrances to the Ministry are now fitted with electronic access doors linked to an automated time-book system stressing that staff members are required to use personalized identification cards to unlock the doors and verify their presence through biometric thumbprint authentication upon entry and exit. “When you arrive at the Ministry, your staff ID card opens the automated doors, and your thumbprint records your time of arrival. When leaving, you repeat the process. In the event of an emergency or there is a security concern, we can identify who was present and who granted access. This is not just about discipline; it is about safety.” he said.

He acknowledged that while the vast majority of health professionals in the state are diligent and committed, isolated cases of staff truancy have occasionally posed challenges, particularly in health facilities where absenteeism can have serious consequences for patients. Dr. John emphasized that the biometric system will enable remote monitoring of attendance across facilities once fully implemented, eliminating the need for physical supervision while ensuring compliance with work schedules. He revealed that the reform will be expanded in phases to general hospitals and primary healthcare centres across the state. Speaking earlier, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Health, Safety and Environment, Mrs. Jayne Ufot, said the audit was in furtherance of Governor Eno’s commitment to entrench a culture of safety and institutional responsibility across the public service. Mrs. Ufot who said the overall goal of the exercise is to ensure that workplaces adhere to acceptable health and safety standards, commended the Ministry for maintaining high safety standards, noting that the team was satisfied with the overall condition and operational outlook of the facility. She revealed that once the onboarding process for the newly recruited Safety Officers is concluded, two officers will be deployed to each Ministry and expressed optimism that the officers will play a critical role in strengthening compliance through periodic safety briefings, routine inspections and continuous sensitization of staff.

On his part, Engr. Peter Asuquo, a safety professional, expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the inspection, noting that the overall condition of the offices was commendable and met expected standards. He noted that the only observation was the need to verify the service status of a fire extinguisher whose service status required verification to ensure optimal emergency preparedness. The meeting which had in attendance the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Patrick Essiet, Technical Advisor to the Commissioner, Dr Etop Antia, Directors in the Ministry of Health featured inspection exercise within the ministry, followed by a post-audit briefing where observations were reviewed and corrective measures discussed.

Info and PR Unit

Ministry of Health