Prof. Ememabasi Bassey, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), has urged medical doctors in the hospital to resume work in order to save the lives of patients.
Bassey who made the call at a press conference in Uyo on Wednesday, urged the Nigerian Medical Association to suspend its ongoing strike at the hospital.
It would be recalled that medical doctors at the hospital declared strike following alleged invasion of the facility by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
It was reported that EFCC operatives were at the hospital in search of
Prof. Effiong Ekpe, the Deputy Chairman, Medical Advisory Council.
The anti-graft agency’s visit concerned Ekpe’s alleged delay to authenticate a medical report linked to an ongoing investigation.
Meanwhile, Bassey had urged the medical doctors to return to work in order not to paralyse healthcare delivery at the hospital.
“Innocent patients may lose their lives if medical services remain paralysed.
“Let us consider the plight of innocent patients who depend on the hospital for survival,” he said.
The CMD stated that UUTH was the only publicly accessible federal tertiary health institution in Akwa Ibom, attending to between 600 and 800 patients daily.
Bassey that the EFCC did not officially communicate the university hospital or present an arrest warrant on Prof. Effiong Ekpe.
“The EFCC did not formally notify the hospital management or present an arrest warrant before attempting to drag a professor out from his office,” he alleged.
Reacting to the development, the EFCC denied invading the premises of the university teaching hospital.
Its Head, Media and Publicity, Mr Dele Oyewale said in a statement that EFCC’s operatives were at the university hospital for an official assignment.
