Posted by Dr. Felix Archibong, the chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association NMA in Cross River State, has made it clear that the association’s members are not on strike; rather, they have withheld their professional services from all hospitals in the state as a result of the kidnapping of a colleague four days ago.
On Thursday, July 13, 2023, while attending to patients in her office at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, or UCTH, Prof. Ekanem Ephraim was abducted.
More than five UCTH doctors have been abducted in the past two years; all of them were eventually freed after being paid a ransom.
Dr. Archibong claimed in an exclusive interview with DAILY POST that the doctors had stopped providing medical advice to those responsible for the kidnapping of their colleagues.
“We remain in our locations, but we no longer provide our services. He answered, “Let the kidnappers go and perform the work.
He revealed that the doctors had met with Deputy Governor Peter Odey as part of efforts to have their colleague rescued.
“Yesterday, we met with the Deputy Governor. He has advised us to exercise a little more patience as the administration and the security services attempt to secure her release.
We’re in our offices right now, but we’re not consulting. But we’re not on strike,” he insisted.
The NMA leadership in the state conducted an emergency meeting the day after Prof. Ephraim was abducted and decided to suspend all services in both public and private hospitals while they waited for their colleague’s release.