Dr Ekpo Ekpo Bassey, the Chairman, House Committee on Health of the Cross River State House of Assembly, has described the action of Nigeria Medical Association in respect to their industrial action as hasty.
Speaking with newsmen on phone Sunday night, Dr Ekpo Ekpo Bassey lamented the action of the association, explaining that the group would have first and foremost set up a small committee to find out why NCDC refused to announce the result of samples sent to Alex Ekwueme University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State before declaring a strike action.
“I was part of the meeting; the action of the NMA was based on the way the COVID-19 response team handled the whole process. I have appealed to them to exercise some patients not to withdraw their services at this time as people need their services more than any other time.
“This is a critical time for us globally as we are facing this pandemic and people now depend so much on health providers. The reason advanced by NMA to embark on the strike is virtually not sufficient for now because if the State has five confirmed cases of COVID-19 as transported from UCTH to Alex Ekwueme University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State and were returned positive and NCDC has not captured them in its report; it was not enough reason to embark on strike.
“The NMA should have gotten in touch with NCDC rather than withdrawing their services. Embarking on industrial action now is too hasty because the people will suffer more especially those who depend on medical services for their survivals.
“The strike is too hasty. We appeal to them to retrace their action. We know they are aggrieved because the State Government has not sent enough samples; people are having the virus and transmitting it. The action was based on perception; they needed to set up a small committee that would have liaised with COVID-19 team to see what they have done,” he stated.
