Bassey Inyang in Calabar
The management of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) has raised the alarm over what it described as a threat to the life of its Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof. Ikpeme A. Ikpeme, and the peace and security of the federal medical institution.
A statement issued and signed yesterday by the Director of Administration of the hospital, Ededet Eyoma, and made available to all staff members, including head of departments and the coordinator of schools/internship training, disclosed that a small misguided group among the interns in the hospital has “continued to act in a way that threatens the peace and security of the hospital, patients and law-abiding staff.”
In the statement sighted by THISDAY, the hospital management stated that “these actions which are unbecoming of any group of professionals have now been expanded to include open threats and openly canvassing, discussing and planning the kidnap of the CMD on the interns general social media blog,” and that “a deadline of July ending has been set by these interns to wreak havoc on our hospital with a ‘sever hit’.”
The management of the hospital further warned that “no responsible management will watch idly as a group of misguided individuals openly plans criminality for a non-local problem which every effort at resolution is being made.”
The statement further stressed that: “For the avoidance of doubt, the management has duly informed the security agencies to act decisively to maintain peace and security of lives and property in our hospital.”
It explained that in the last seven months, the management of UCTH has made concerted efforts to resolve the problem of the shortfall in non-regular allowances for tertiary health institutions nationwide in 2021, and has striven to ensure that interns and other affected staff salaries are paid.
The statement further disclosed that several meetings have been held with the interns with the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) and the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) as witnesses to demonstrate empathy, explain management efforts to the interns, called for patience and offer reassurance that every owed salary will be paid once the government releases funds for this purpose.
