Abduction: Patients Stranded as UBTH Doctors Join Warning Strike

• Patients at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital were left unattended as doctors joined the one-week warning strike declared by NMA
• The strike was in response to the abduction of a fellow doctor in Kaduna State, who has been held captive for eight months

Patients at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) were left stranded on Monday as doctors joined the nationwide one-week warning strike declared by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA). The strike was in response to the abduction of a fellow doctor in Kaduna State, who has been held captive for eight months despite the payment of a ransom.

Many patients who had come to the hospital for treatment, including those at the General Out Patients Department (GOPD) and other units, were left unattended. After several hours of waiting, they were eventually asked to return home due to the strike.

A patient named Faith shared her frustration, explaining that she had braved the rain early in the morning to get to the hospital for a routine eye check-up, only to be sent back without receiving any care. She also lamented the financial loss, stating that she spent over N2,000 on transportation without getting the needed treatment.

A doctor at UBTH, who preferred to remain anonymous, confirmed that the hospital’s medical staff joined the strike in solidarity with their kidnapped colleague in Kaduna State. The strike highlights the growing concerns and frustrations within the medical community over the safety and welfare of healthcare professionals in the country.