Priscilla Christopher-Akpanettot
The Chief Medical Director at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Dr. EmemAbasi Bassey has appealed to striking Unions in the facility to end their industrial action taken as a measure of safety, in the face of the assault on some of their members by the men of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Prof. Bassey made the appeal on behalf of Patients in critical health conditions at the ICU, Accident and Emergency Unit as well as the Special Care Baby Unit, whom he said will die if not attended to promptly.
"What I'm saying is that as healthcare providers, we are. primarily service providers who cater for people's health and it is a very sad thing that we cannot save the patients we took an oath to preserve and protect their lives. Circumstances have forced us not to do so", he lamented.
This was on Wednesday, while he was addressing a Press Conference regarding the EFCC's invasion and assault on health workers the previous day.
According to him, UUTH is a federal government institution and the only publicly accessible tertiary hospital in Akwa Ibom State.
"We serve as a place of last resort for millions of citizens. Every day, between 600 and 800 patients come here for treatment. It is unfortunate that the hospital has been partially shut down because of this incident", he lamented.
He therefore made a case for Patients with delicate health conditions, saying they should not be made to suffer from what they don't know.
Dr. Bassey who related the Tuesday occurrence in detail to the Press, condemned the action of the men of the EFCC, describing it as an aberration from due process.
He however informed that the matter in contention which led to the incident was amicably resolved and the arrested staff released the same day.
As such, he pleaded for leniency on the Patients, while they seek redress on the issue.
But in their response, the leadership of the workers’ Union at the hospital denied reports that they had embark on a strike action.
Chairman of the Joint Health Sector Unions and Senior Staff Association within the hospital, Comrade Akanubong Asuquo, clarified that workers only temporarily suspended duties because of safety concerns.
“We are not on strike. We only suspended duties for the sake of our safety,” he said.
In the meantime, management of the hospital has assured that health personnel would be deployed to the critical Units mentioned, while cautioning members of the public to desist from suggestive and speculative comments about what happened.
The Conference was attended by Prof. Udoinyang Inyang, Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee; Dr. Joseph Akpan, Director of Administration; Mrs Anthonia Bassey, Director, Finance and Accounts; Dr. Jenny Church Akpan, Head of Nursing Services; Dr. Mfon Inoh, Chairman, Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria; Comrd. Effiong Umokoro, Chairman, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives; Comr. Harry Akpan, Chairman, National Union of Allied Health Professionals; Comr. Udeme Moses, Chairman, Non Academic Staff Union; Comr. Dr. Ekomobong Udoh, President, Association of Resident Doctors; Comrade Nsibiet John, Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Akwa Ibom State Council as well as the media community.
No comments:
Post a Comment