Activities were paralysed at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Lokoja, as nurses and midwives of the hospital embarked on strike to press for the removal of Dr Charles Nzurubike.
The chairman of National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives Federal Medical Center Lokoja chapter, Dr Dan Ameh, said the protest became necessary because of the consultant’s high-handedness.
The gynaecologist had allegedly order the closing down of the labour wards against visiting pregnant women.
“Nurses and midwives no longer have right to examine or check any woman in antenatal clinic. The thing worsened when he drove the women that came for antenatal away, depriving them of the service for reasons best known to him without the consent of the management of the hospital,” Ameh said.
He was also accused of putting the women through stress in an attempt to divert them to his private hospital.
One of the protesters, Akubo Mohammed, said: “By the time you allow them to suffer, they will say, what am I going to do at the FMC and they will move to private clinics. That is what we want to stop”.
Some other women said the doctor’s actions were putting pregnant women under intense stress.
Dr Nzurubike told Channels Television that the allegations against him were baseless, saying he is trying to bring change to the hospital.