Staff of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri the Imo State capital, have called on the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, to beam it’s searchlight on the recent activities affecting the staff and patients of the health institution.
During a protest carried out by the FMC Owerri chapter of the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), the association accused the board and management of the health institution of allegedly concluding plans to privatize and commercialise some key departments in the institution.
The group noted that having succeeded in privatising the mortuary, transport, security and laundry departments, there are plans to privatise other departments, especially the laboratory and pharmacy departments if nothing is done.
They said that the plan to privatize and outsource critical units of the hospital by the outgoing Chief Medical Director and the board members just at the tail end of the present administration is questionable, suspicious and not in good fate.
Noting that every unit of the hospital has been performing creditably well, the Chairman of NUAHP, FMC Owerri chapter, Ezeugo Chika, said that the reason cited by the management for the planned privatization was baseless.
In a swift response to these allegations, the Chief Medical Director, Dr Angela Uwakwe, debunked the accusations that the management was trying to privatize the entire hospital, noting that it was just some units.
She said that the board was still meeting to ratify the proposed privatisation, insisting that it is a proposed Public Private Partnership (PPP) to make the hospital services more efficient and effective.
However, the union have resolved to continue with their protest if the alleged plans by the management are not reversed.