The Leadership of the Joint Health Sector Union of the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, Imo State Chapter, has debunked the allegation that their members disconnected gadgets in the Special Care Baby Unit and thereby caused the untimely deaths of 20 babies in intensive care at the facility.
The union gave the clarification in a statement issued on Monday by its Chairman, Secretary and Public Relations Officer, Clifford Ezeugwu, Iheanyi Okoronta and Solomon Nwafuru, respectively. The statement described the reports as malicious, adding that the capacity of the SCBU of the hospital was not up to 20 and wondered how such number of babies could have died at the Centre.
“The publication on death of 20 babies at FMC Owerri was intended to discredit the union and its members. If not, one would have expected the writers to contact the Union officers on the veracity of the story before going to press.
The PRO and Medical Director’s Secretary that were alleged to be on danger list in an undisclosed hospital are quite hale and hearty. Even the PRO was at the hospital on Thursday April 26, 2018. We therefore challenged the writers to name the hospital where they are admitted.
For the umpteenth time, we want to state that medical doctors are not on strike. Besides, they are not members of any of our unions, hence we do not interfere with their duties. It is only our members, we are preserving to keep away from the hospital. Of course, we do not expect that any medical doctor to meddle in our affairs, because we do not interfere anytime they embark on strike for the welfare of their members”.
