Tension rocked the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) on Monday as workers staged a protest demanding the appointment of a substantive Chief Medical Director (CMD).
The staff, drawn from various unions within the hospital, marched through the premises carrying placards with inscriptions such as “We need a substantive CMD now”, “Stop playing politics with our hospital” and “No to prolonged acting leadership.”
Speaking during the protest, the Chairman of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), UCTH chapter, Mr. Edet Asuquo, said the absence of a substantive CMD was affecting the smooth running of the hospital. According to him, the reliance on an acting leadership for several months has led to administrative bottlenecks and stalled decision-making in critical areas.
“Our hospital cannot continue to function properly under uncertainty. For too long, the Federal Ministry of Health has delayed the process of appointing a substantive CMD. This is creating room for internal wrangling and impacting patient care,” Asuquo said.
Other union leaders accused the authorities of deliberately politicising the appointment process. They insisted that the hospital deserved stable leadership to enable it to tackle challenges ranging from inadequate infrastructure to shortage of medical supplies.
Patients and relatives were caught in the disruption as the protest temporarily blocked access to some hospital units. However, emergency services were not completely shut down.
Addressing the protesters, a representative of the hospital’s management appealed for calm, assuring that the process of appointing a new CMD was ongoing and would soon be concluded by the Presidency.
Despite the assurances, the unions vowed to sustain their agitation until a substantive CMD is named, warning that the protest may escalate if their demands are ignored.
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