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Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Association of Medical Laboratory Science of Nigeria (AMSLN) has raised the alarm that its members, particularly students and trainees at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) are being frustrated, molested, brutalised and assaulted in course of their work.
The Association, however, alleged that UCTH Chief Medical Director, Prof. Ikpeme Asanye Ikpeme and the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, Prof. Ogbu Ewezu Ngim, were directly or indirectly behind the assault which led to the death of their colleague, Patrick O’ Neil.
The Association solicited the intervention of the Ministers of health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire and Olurinmibe Mamora, in the matter to prevent a worst case scenario or total breakdown of law and order in hospital.
AMSLN spokesman, Casmir Cajethan, told reporters in Abuja, on Tuesday, that the CMD, for an unknown reasons, has used his management powers to work against AMSLN students
He alleged that the act of undue preference by UCTH management against the students of Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) in the hospital has forced the students and trainees to seek superior intervention.
He said: “The CMD and medical advisory committee chairman, obviously, belong category of physicians who have sworn to denigrating the medical laboratory service system in UCTH.
“They have entrenched chaos, quackery, disruption of quality medical laboratory services in UCTH, hence putting the lives of health care seekers in jeopardy.
“Sometimes last month, pathologist staff of UCTH laid siege on medical laboratory facilities in the hospital and ordered all workers, including medical laboratory scientists to vacate the facilities without any reason given.
“Not only that, the UCTH management have used police and DSS to harass and detain our members who were seen as being vocal in demanding justice in the hospital. Two nursing mothers are still in detention.”
They called for the enforcement of several court judgment that was delivered in the favour for the sake of peace and industrial harmony in the health care delivery services in Nigeria. When contacted, the CMD of UCTH, Prof. Ikpeme Asanye Ikpeme, denied the allegation, describing them as false and baseless.
