Despite calling off its strike, there are strong indications that the National Association of Resident Doctors, alongside other medical personnel, may again resume another action over a Neurologist, Prof Ephraim Ekanem, who was kidnapped at gunpoint on July 13, 2023.
The National President of the Nigerian Medical Association, (NMA), Dr. Uche Ojinmah, has given a seven-day ultimatum, which would expire this Friday if she was not rescued alive.
Ojinmah spoke in an interview with journalists on Saturday in Calabar.
The armed men who abducted Prof Ekanem in her house in Calabar had pretended to be patients.
The national president of the NMA said, “We have had interactions with the state governor and we have made it clear that if by the end of next week we do not get a result, we will take tougher stands because we have watched the maltreatment of medical practitioners in Cross River in the last few years.
“If our member is not released by Friday, 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 called on the Cross River State Government to take proactive measures to protect their citizens and contain attempts to de-market the state.
NMA has appealed to the kidnappers to return the abducted doctor to them.