Medical doctors in Abia State on Tuesday began a strike action to protest against the kidnap of one of them, 74-year-old Professor Uwadinachi Iweha.
This followed their threat on Friday to down their tools of the Professor was not released after 47 hours.
The professor was kidnapped on Sunday, June 6, by gunmen who invaded his country home around 4:00 pm, in Umuokpara in Umuahia South Local Government Area of the state.
This comes as a gale of kidnappings and abductions is sweeping throughout the length and breadth of Nigeria.
Prof Iweha is a former Chief Medical Director of Abia State University Teaching Hospital Aba; and Abia Specialist Hospital and Diagnostic Centre. Currently, he is the Provost of Gregory University College of Medicine, Umuahia Campus.
Announcing the decision by the doctors to embark on the strike on Tuesday after a rally and prayer session at the car park of the Federal Medical Centre Umuahia, the Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, Abia State, Dr Chimezie Okwuonu, said their move was to send an alert to the world that the safety of doctors in the state was no longer guaranteed.
The medical professionals declared that they could no longer operate in such an uncertain environment given that their members are always on duty.
“As an Association deeply involved in the welfare of Medical Doctors in Abia State, we are worried that 9 days down the line, Prof Uwadinachi Iweha is still within the kidnappers’ Den. This is traumatic, depressing, dehumanising and has instilled a lot of fear within the medical community whose primary objective is to save the life of Abians from the medical point of view,” the Association’s Secretary, Dr Robinson Ugwuanyi, read from a speech he co-signed with the chairman.
“The Nigerian Medical Association Abia State hereby condemns the kidnap of its member and calls on the Abia State Government and security apparatus to do all that is necessary to secure his release.
“Our earnest prayer is that his health condition does not deteriorate further and he comes back alive to us and his family.
“The recent spate of kidnap with its attendant consequences on the morale of its citizens has the capability of eroding the achievement we have made, as a state, in the area of security.
“Medical Doctors work all round the clock. This includes normal duties, surgeries, clinical calls, emergencies and administrative duties. The nature and scope of our work involve being on the road any time you are called, as more than 95% of Doctors reside outside their place of work.
“With the current state of fear caused by the kidnap and detention of our colleague, safety cannot be guaranteed and it will be difficult to attend to duties as normal as no one knows who will be the next victim.
The Association recalled that its members had on Friday undertaken a peaceful protest to the Government House where it registered its displeasure at the kidnap of its senior medical colleague.
“We were received by the Chief of Staff Chief Okey Ahaiwe, who assured us, on behalf of the Governor, that government will do all the needful to ensure the release of its colleague. We are still looking up to this promise,” it noted.
“Today, Tuesday 14th, the NMA Abia State has commenced a withdrawal of services in both public and private sectors, to register its deep displeasure at this unfortunate incident and give its members time to join the family in searching for its members.
It added, however, that emergency services were still going on to enable its members to attend to critical patients.
“We shall also take out time to pray for Prof Iweha and carry out a very peaceful rally to show that we stand by our own in this time of trial. These, in addition to this press conference, are the main three activities for today.
“Our Physicians pledge, as amended by the 68th World Medical Association General Assembly Chicago in 2017 states in line 11 ‘I will take care of my health and well being, and abilities in order to provide care of the highest standardss’.
“With the kidnap and continued detention of our colleague, we are not assured of our health and well-being as Doctors in this environment; hence may not provide care of the highest standard.
“It is our utmost desire that the Government enables a secured release of our colleague and restores the peace and security we enjoy.
“The Nigerian Medical Association Abia State wishes to ask its members to pray for Prof Uwadinachi Iweha, and ask any member of the public with useful information about his where about to report to the nearest Police Station,” they pledged.
