NMA threatens nationwide strike over doctor’s abduction

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has threatened to embark on a national action if its member abducted in Cross River State is not released in seven days.

The NMA President, Dr. Uche Ojinmah, made this known in a briefing with journalists in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, on Saturday, August 12, 2023.

It would be recalled that Prof. Ekanem Ephraim, a Neurologist with the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), was on July 13 abducted from her residence by gunmen who pretended to be patients.

According to her family, the NMA in Cross River State, in the last 25 days, has not received any response or proof that the doctor is alive.

Ojinmah, however, said the NMA would not accept anything except the return of the kidnapped doctor.

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He said: “We have had interactions with the governor and we have made it clear that if by the end of next week we do not get result, we will take tougher stance because we have watched the maltreatment of medical practitioners in Cross River in the last few years.

“Doctors as a group are being targeted, that has to stop in Cross River, if it does not, there will be a national action that will have Cross River at the epicentre.

“We may withdraw our members so that those people who like kidnapping will have to treat the people of Cross River themselves.”

Ojinmah further called on the Cross River State Government to take proactive measures to protect the citizens, not only doctors.

While appealing to the kidnappers to release the abducted neurologist to her family and association, he called on the state government to make it a priority to contain any attempt to de-market Cross River State.

He added that the association was not unmindful of the efforts of the governor and security agencies but Cross River State was becoming a recurring decimal in the issue of kidnapping, especially doctors.

The Star