By Magnus Effiong
Nurses at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) have protested and withdrawn their services over the arrest and detention of three of their colleagues by armed Policemen on Monday.
A source, who preferred anonimity told our reporter that the protesting nurses had, as early as 7am of Tuesday, blocked the main entrance of the health institution demanding that their colleagues be released immediately.
The root cause of the incident, it was gathered, was the death of patient who family members alleged, died as a result of negligence on the part of the three nurses.
Oursource said: “a good Samaritan brought an accident victim to the hospital for urgent medical attention but the nurses said there was no syringes, and while they were waiting for another nurse to arrange for syringes, the patient gave up the ghost.
“The relation later came and discovered that the SIM card on the deceased person’s phone had been removed. They demanded some explanations from the nurses. And, suspecting foul play, they contacted the Police who invaded the hospital and arrested the three nurses who were on duty.”
The incident has generated tension within the hospital community with nurses vowing they would not give their services until their colleagues are released.
“This is an unacceptable act of intimidation. Instead of following proper investigative procedures, the relatives brought armed men into a hospital environment to harass and arrest our colleagues over an issue as minor as a missing SIM card. It’s both humiliating and unlawful,” a nurse, who pleaded to remain anonymous, said.
Reports say clinical services provided by nurses across several departments were suspended the whole of Tuesday.
