The management and staff of David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital Uburu Ohaozara (DUFUTH) in Ebonyi State have described as baseless, unfounded, mischievous and politically motivated the corruption and abuse of office allegation levelled against the chief medical director of the institution, Prof Uzoma Agwu by a few individuals in the community.
The staff, during a solidarity march at the Hospital Premises, also unanimously passed a vote of confidence on the CMD and warned those who are bent on instigating crisis in the institution to forthwith desist from such act as it will pay them no good.
The staff who came out in their numbers chanted solidarity songs for the CMD, condemning the frivolous allegations against her.
Some members of the host community besieged the hospital premises on Monday and disrupted medical and clinical activities, accusing the CMD of removing beds, foams, medications, and generators from the teaching hospital.
In a ten-point communique signed by Ogechi Precious John and Ogbuewu Sarah, chairman and secretary of the workers, the union maintained that since the inception of DUFUTH, the hospital has been guided by regulations of the mother ministry and federal civil service commission.
The ten-point communique reads, “We frown at the allegations of criminal repurposing of facilities and the ridiculous claims of removal of beds, foams, medications, and generators from the teaching hospital, as well as of corruption and abuse of office levelled against the CMD.
“There is no evidence to support this claim, either in picture, print or video, and we challenge the accusers to prove us wrong with counter-evidence.
“We strongly condemn the blockade mounted by the protesters on Monday, 24th March 2024, which demonstrated an alarming lack of empathy and concern for patients seeking medical attention.
“That the 3-page document presented by the organizers is a pre-conceived can of falsehood to cast aspersion on our hardworking CMD who has spent days and nights within the hospital to nurture the institution from cradle since 2022.”
The union claimed that the hospital had been guided by regulations, conventions, extant rules and approved laws guiding the conduct of federal teaching hospitals under the tutelage of the parent ministry, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.
The association expressed dismay that the “illegal” blockade not only disrupted essential healthcare services but also prevented patients with emergency cases from accessing the hospital.
They further call on the federal government to disregard the call for the removal of the CMD, as the allegations against her were unsubstantiated and lacking in merit.
The hospital workers further called for adequate power supply to the hospital by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC.
