Medical doctors and health workers at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital have declared an indefinite strike following a raid by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday.
It was gathered that EFCC operatives arrived at the hospital premises on Tuesday afternoon and attempted to arrest a staff member, leading to resistance from other staff.
Eyewitnesses said the operatives called for reinforcement, after which additional personnel arrived and allegedly fired shots into the air to disperse staff members who had gathered to resist the arrest. The EFCC operatives eventually whisked away the deputy chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee, Prof. Effiong Ekpe, and three other staff members of the hospital.
Following the incident, the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association in Akwa Ibom State directed doctors across the state to shut down services immediately, while leaders of the Joint Health Sector Unions also announced a total hospital shutdown in protest.
Confirming the incident, the public relations officer of the Nigerian Medical Association described the EFCC’s action as an onslaught on the hospital and its workers, stating that it was wrong for a professor of cardiothoracic surgery, the only one in the state, to be treated in such a manner.
The Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State, however, said he ordered some policemen to join EFCC officials to arrest a staff member of the hospital on the instruction of a judge in an ongoing court case. He said before the policemen entered the hospital premises, he had informed the chief medical director to instruct his staff to grant the officers access.
The police commissioner added that he called the CMD and advised him to open the gate for them to carry out the arrest because it was a legitimate duty. He stated that they went there on the invitation of the CMD to verify those who came to do the arrest, confirmed they were legitimate, and advised that they should be allowed to proceed.
