UCTH : Group sends SOS to Buhari, alleges sectionalization of hospital

A group under the agies of Concerned Staff of University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, CSOUCTH, has send save-our-soul- message to President Mohammad Buhari calling for equity, justice and fairness in the distribution of offices at the hospital.

In a statement made available and signed by Messers Agbor John Agbor and Nathaniel Odey as Coordinator and Secretary respectively, it decried the lopsided appointment into management positions and other heads of department at the UCTH in the last couple of years.

The group averred that the revered federal hospital is gradually being turned into a sectional hospital as appointments has been deliberately skewed to favour section of the state against the interest of others who make up the hospital community, thereby throwing federal character policy into the winds.

The group, in the statement titled, ‘Save us from further marginalisation,’ wondered why their southern senatorial brothers would always want to hijack all key and juicy positions to the detriment of their central and northern senatorial districts people, stressing that over-domination whether by omission or commission breeds suspicion, lack of trust and in-fighting in the hospital.

The group listed key positions occupied by their southern brothers and sisters at UCTH to include Director Administration, ( Mr Archibong Okon) second to Chief Medical Director; Chairman Medical Advisory Council, CMAC,  Dr Oboh Ngim:  Director Human Resources, Bar Eyoma; head of Nursing unit, Mrs Pricilla Bassey. Others positions shared between central and north include Chief Medical Director, Prof Thomas Agan, North; Deputy Director Finance, Eloma, Central; and head of Works, Mr Offor, central.

The group further pointed out that it is high time the position of Chief medical Director is rotated among the three senatorial zones as has always been the case with the central allowed to take over from the incumbent CMD, Prof Agan, after the expiration of his tenure in April 2019.

It reads in part: “It has been a common understanding that the CMD seat has been rotated among south, Central and North. Prof Rowland Ndoma Egba (Central) handed over to Prof Etetim Asuquo (south) and then the incumbent, Prof Agan from North. Therefore, equity demands that it should go back to central and later south especially considering the fact that most strategic positions are occupied by the south as seen above.

“We are saying Prof Ndoma Egba left office as CMD 16 years ago and handing over the position to the south for another eight years would mean that the central would stay out of it for twenty-fours before even attempting to occupy it. This, indeed, is totally not only unacceptable and against the spirit of feral character and brotherhood, but a calculated attempt to marginalise the people of central and scheme them out of the hospital management in another eight years.

“Against this backdrop, we call on supervisory Ministry of Health and the Presidency to please save us from further marginalisation by looking into the above-raised issues critically, especially the appointment of the next Chief Medical Director of the hospital as this is the only way all segments that make up the hospital would have been taken care. Once justice is done then by appointing somebody from the central to avoid much bickering.

“We are not against merit or trying to play politics with appointment of CMD. Definitely No! Our argument is that the Central also parades quality medical professions with vast experiences that it should be given an opportunity to manage the affairs of the hospital just as south and north have done in the last 16-years,” it stated.

According to the group, an injustice to one is an injustice to all, and therefore called on all stakeholders to work towards enthroning an a just admiration that would restore the dignity of the hospital so to be able to serve the public effectively in health care delivery and area of medical research.