Nurses Protest at UCTH Over Arrest of Colleagues

Nurses at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Calabar, held a protest yesterday following the detention of three of their fellow staff members by the Nigeria Police Force after a patient passed away in the hospital without the nurses documenting the deceased’s information.

The nurses turned out in large numbers and marched toward the main entrance of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, where they blocked the gate and halted all vehicle access into and out of the hospital.

Investigations showed that the three nurses were taken into custody in connection with the death of a patient.

The police alleged that the nurses had failed to supply details about the patient, labeling the omission as a case of professional negligence.

As many as 200 nurses assembled and sealed off the hospital’s entrance, stopping both staff and visitors from entering the premises.

A nurse who requested not to be named said, “Yesterday, a patient was brought into the hospital by a good Samaritan and made some payments for his treatment before leaving.

“Unfortunately, the patient died before it was dawn, and relatives of the patient stormed the facility upon hearing that their relative, who was on admission at our facility, had died, and they discovered that the deceased’s SIM card was missing.

“The family members demanded that the nurses provide the missing card or details of the good Samaritan be provided.

“When they discovered that the nurses were unable to give useful information on the matter, they ran to the police, who stormed the hospital and arrested three nurses who attended to the deceased.”

In a show of solidarity, the nurses marched as a group to the Cross River State Police Command Headquarters, where they demanded the immediate release of their detained colleagues.

Attempts to get comments from the management of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital proved unsuccessful, as efforts to reach the Chief Medical Director, Prof. Ikpeme, through his mobile phone were unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, many patients who came to receive medical care at the UCTH were left stranded outside.

Similarly, some family members of a patient who tried to gain access to the hospital morgue were slapped by the protesting nurses after they attempted to force their way in to deposit the corpse of their deceased relative.

Commenting on the matter in a phone call, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO Irene Ugbo, criticized the nurses on duty for professional misconduct.

“How could trained nurses admit a patient into the hospital without taking data from the good Samaritan who brought the patient into the hospital? It’s unethical,” Ugbo asked.

As of the time this report was submitted, the police PPRO confirmed that the state commissioner of police had given the directive for the detained nurses to be released.