We demand end to insecurity, release of our colleagues, doctors tell FG

Doctors at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, on Friday, were seen with white ribbons tied to their arms to demand that the Federal government put an end to insecurity in Nigeria and the release of Ekanem Phillip-Ephraim, a professor of medicine who was adopted in Calabar on 13th of July, 2023.

The doctors, in their droves, said the release of Professor Phillip-Ephraim was important because it could have been any of them that was kidnapped while at the hospital and attending to patients at about 9pm.

Vice Chairman, Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), UCH chapter, Dr Seyi Akande, said despite different organizations, including NMA Cross River branch protesting and even going on industrial strike, the where about of Professor Phillip-Ephraim is still unknown.

Akande said doctors cannot accept Professor Phillip-Ephraim adoption as an unresolved crime and demand that the government at all levels do whatever they can to ensure her release.

“You can imagine the physical and psychological state of the woman in the den of kidnappers for 50 days after she was adopted while helping attend to patients. You can imagine the state of her immediate family.

“Government should do everything it can to take this pain away; we want to see our colleague released, we want the government to make Nigeria secure for all of us. We want to be able to attend to our patients in a relaxed atmosphere.

“In Cross River State, in the last 5 years at least 5 doctors have been adopted. But we are not particular about doctors alone, every human being is important. The country should be made safe for all of us.

“Our colleagues are our family; that is the Hippocratic oath that we took. If a colleague has been adopted, anybody can be the next victim. So it affects all of us; you are not able to work with peace of mind because your life is not secured.”

Earlier, UCH’s Chief Medical Director, Professor Jesse Otegbayo, receiving leaders and members of the MDCAN in his office, expressed empathy on the adoption of Professor Phillip-Ephraim and called on the government to fish out the perpetrators of the crime.

“This kind of thing is one of the push factors of our health workforce; it is one of the things that make people want to look for greener pastures. We know that the government is doing a lot to mitigate these push factors, but still a lot more has to be done.

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