Doctors declares indefinite strike, give reason

Private and public doctors in Abia State have announced indefinite strike over the abduction and continued detention of their colleague, Professor Uwadinachi Iweha.

Recall that Iweha was whisked away last week in front of his house at Umuokpara in Umuahia, South Local Government Area of Abia.

The doctors had, during their protest last Friday, threatened to stop working if, after 47 hours, their kidnapped colleague was not released.

However, announcing the decision of the doctors on Tuesday after a rally session at the car park of the Federal Medical Centre Umuahia, Dr Chimezie Okwuonu, the Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, Abia State, disclosed that the action was to alert the world that the safety of doctors in Abia was no longer guaranteed.

Reading from a prepared speech he co-signed with Dr Robinson Ugwuanyi, the Secretary of the body, Okwuonu said: ”As an Association deeply involved in the welfare of Medical Doctors in Abia State, we are worried that nine 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 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 doesn’t deteriorate further and he comes back alive to us and his family.

“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.

“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.

”However, emergency services are still going on to enable our members to attend to critical patients.”