Ekiti NMA Declares Strike To Protest Doctor, Nurse Kidnap
By Muyiwa Adeyemi (Head South West Bureau Ado Ekiti)
09 May 2015 | 11:53 pm
The Ekiti State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) yesterday declared an indefinite strike to protest the kidnap of a former Chief Medical Director of Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Patrick Adegun, and a Nurse with the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH), Ido Ekiti, Mrs Margaret Aladeneka. The association in a letter signed by its…
Fayose
The Ekiti State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) yesterday declared an indefinite strike to protest the kidnap of a former Chief Medical Director of Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Patrick Adegun, and a Nurse with the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH), Ido Ekiti, Mrs Margaret Aladeneka.
The association in a letter signed by its Chairman, Dr. John Akinbote and the Secretary, Dr. A. A. Akinyele, condemned the incessant kidnap of health workers in the state.
Adegun and his wife, Kikelomo, were kidnapped at about 8.00pm on Thursday near their residence at Oke Ila in Ado Ekiti. Their kidnap came five days after Aladeneka was abducted, while a yet to be identified man was killed during the operation. There is no word from the abductors yet.
The letter said the Doctors decided to embark on the strike at an emergency meeting held on Friday.
"As a result of the above development, the house unanimously resolved to withdraw all clinical services in Ekiti State until the safety of our members can be guaranteed," the letter stated.
The association had earlier raised the alarm over incessant harassment and attacks of doctors and other health workers in the state calling on the State Government and Law Enforcement Agencies to curtail the incidents.
It also called on the government to expedite action on the implementation of the adjusted revised Consolidated Medical Salary Scale Circular issued by the Federal Government since January 1, 2014.
Reacting to the decision of the doctors, Special Assistant to Governor Ayodele Fayose on Information, Mr Lanre Ogunsuyi, expressed concerns about the kidnap of the health workers and appealed to the doctors to shelve their resolve to suspend work, saying such step won't be in the interest of the State, particularly for those with critical ailments.
Ogunsuyi said, "Police and State Government will make Ekiti secured for health workers and every worker in the State. We will put in place good measures for people to be able to move without hindrance.
"We urged them to go back to work because suspending work in the hospital will aggravate the problem but we are going to keep our strategy to ourselves for security reason. We will hold consultations with the doctors to know what their fears are and how to fashion out ways of providing security.
"To us as a government, every kidnap is criminal and condemnable. We are working with the Commissioner of Police to tame criminalities in Ekiti State. The governor will hold consultations with all relevant stakeholders to tame all these problems one and for all," he said.
Clash looms as LCC Monkeys 'raid' Lekki residents' homes
For months now, monkeys from the Lekki Conservation Centre (LCC) have become a menace for residents of Lekki community on Lagos Island.
What Nigerians want in 2022
As the year 2022 unfolds, Nigerians from all walks of life have voiced their opinions on what should be done to rescue the nation from the myriad of challenges currently stunting its development...