The nurses marched in large numbers to the hospital gate, barricading it and stopping all vehicular access into and out of the facility. This action disrupted medical activities, with several patients locked out and unable to receive care.
Over 200 nurses at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) blocked the main entrance of the hospital in protest, demanding the release of three of their colleagues arrested by the police following a patient’s death.
The nurses marched in large numbers to the hospital gate, barricading it and stopping all vehicular access into and out of the facility. This action disrupted medical activities, with several patients locked out and unable to receive care.
The three nurses were arrested after the police accused them of negligence in a case involving a deceased patient whose data was allegedly not recorded upon admission.
One protesting nurse, who chose to remain anonymous, said: “A patient was brought into the hospital by a Good Samaritan and made some payments for his treatment before leaving.
Unfortunately, the patient died before it was dawn and relatives of the patient stormed the facility upon hearing that their relative, who was on admission in our facility had died and they discovered that the deceased’s SIM card was missing.
The family members demanded that the nurses provide the missing card or details of the Good Samaritan be provided.
When they discovered that the nurses were unable to give useful information to that effect, they ran to the police, who stormed the hospital and arrested three nurses, who attended to the deceased.”
The protesting nurses also marched to the Cross River State Police Command Headquarters, demanding the unconditional release of their detained colleagues.
Efforts to get a response from the hospital management proved futile.
Reacting to the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, Irene Ugbo, blamed the nurses for negligence.
“How can trained nurses admit a patient into the hospital facility without taking data from the Good Samaritan, who brought the patient into the hospital, it’s unethical,” Ugbo queried.
She added that the Commissioner of Police had ordered the immediate release of the arrested nurses.
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