Rivers doctors begin strike

… protest incessant kidnap of colleagues

Medical doctors in Rivers today commenced a three-day strike to protest the frequent abduction of medical doctors in the state.
Addressing a press conference in Port Harcourt yesterday, the chairman of the state branch of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Furo Green disclosed that two of his colleagues, Dr. Isaac Opurum and Dr. I.B Aprioku were taken hostage at separate times within the week, adding that no fewer than 21 doctors were abducted in the state in 2015.
He said the three-day strike would be a warning strike to draw attention to the plight of medical doctors in the state.
“Last night, one of our hard-working doctors in the department of obstetrics gynaecology, Dr. Livy Ijamala, lost his life following infection with Lassa Fever. This is the price medical doctors and health personnel pay for offering health services to the public.
“While we are not happy to go on strike, the strike now appears to be a blessing in disguise because fewer doctors and patients came to the hospital today, thereby, reducing the rate of contacts among medical doctors and patients,” Dr. Green said.