NMA threatens national action over abduction of doctors in Cross River

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) on Saturday charged the Cross River State government to ensure the release of a doctor abducted by criminals in the state within seven days.

The victim, Prof. Ekanem Ephraim, a Neurologist with the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), was abducted from her residence by armed men who pretended to be patients on July 13.

More than 10 doctors had been kidnapped by criminals in Cross River State in the last five years.

The NMA President, Dr. Uche Ojinmah, who made the call at a briefing in Calabar, said the association would mobilize its members for national action if the neurologist was not returned within seven days.

Ojinmah said the NMA would not accept anything except the return of the kidnapped doctor.

He said: “We have had interactions with the governor and we have made it clear that if by the end of next week, we do not get a result, we will take a tougher stance because we have watched the maltreatment of medical practitioners in Cross River in the last few years.

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“Doctors as a group are being targeted and that has to stop in Cross River. If it does not, there will be a national action that will have Cross River at the epicenter.

“We may withdraw our members so that those people who like kidnapping will have to treat the people of Cross River themselves.

The NMA urged the Cross River government to protect the people of the state.

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