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Owerri FMC Crisis: Patients Call For Government’s Intervention

Helpless patients at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Owerri the Imo State capital, have called on appropriate authorities and stakeholders to intervene in the lingering … Continue reading Owerri FMC Crisis: Patients Call For Government’s Intervention


FMC Owerri, Labour
They warn that the reinstatement of Dr. Uwakwem will lead to chaos

OwerriHelpless patients at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Owerri the Imo State capital, have called on appropriate authorities and stakeholders to intervene in the lingering crisis between the staff and management of the medical centre.

The patients have been at the receiving end since medical services have been crippled in the hospital, because medical attention given to them has been stopped.

Channels TV correspondent, who visited the hospital, reported that most of the offices were under lock and key with all the wards deserted. He said that some patients who were still in the wards were already on their way out of the hospital as a result of no attention given to them anymore.

The staff of the medical centre had earlier called on the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, to beam his searchlight on the recent activities affecting the staff and patients of the health institution.

They accused the board and management of the health institution of allegedly concluding plans to privatize and commercialise some key departments in the institution.

The feud between the two parties took a new dimension when hundreds of staff of the medical centre took to the streets of Owerri, carrying placards with various derogatory inscriptions calling for the removal of their Medical Director, Dr Angela Uwakem, whom they accused of financial misappropriation, high-handedness and victimization.

In a bid to ensure peace and find a lasting solution to this rift between the management and staff, the FMC board suspended plans by the management to go further with the privatisation plans and reversed the query letters given to staff in the course of the feud.

The board then called on the staff to return to their normal duties and assured them that every decision taken by the board would always be in the best interest of the staff.

The protesting workers have, however, maintained their stance that the Medical Director must be removed from office, stating that until she is removed, they would not return to their duty post.

FMC Owerri is one of the most functional hospitals in Imo State and the lingering crisis in the hospital has crippled the health sector in the state. It is therefore expected that the appropriate authorities would intervene for the good of the helpless patients.