A/Ibom declares two medical doctors wanted for abandoning duty
The Akwa Ibom State Government has declared two medical doctors wanted for abandoning their duty post after being trained for eight years. The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ekem Emmanuel John, revealed that Dr. Uduakabasi Ita, a Consultant Radiologist, and Dr. Mfonobong George Bassey, a Consultant Haematologist, staff of the state Ministry of Health, abdicated their […]
The Akwa Ibom State Government has declared two medical doctors wanted for abandoning their duty post after being trained for eight years.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ekem Emmanuel John, revealed that Dr. Uduakabasi Ita, a Consultant Radiologist, and Dr. Mfonobong George Bassey, a Consultant Haematologist, staff of the state Ministry of Health, abdicated their duty posts for greener pastures after the government trained them for eight years. The state government has repeatedly said that any medical personnel it trains are bound to first serve the state to cover the cost of the training before they would be allowed to leave for greener pastures.
Speaking on Monday in Uyo during a press conference, Dr John stated that the two doctors who are still receiving salary from the state government abandoned their duty post to work elsewhere in the country.
The Commissioner threatened to report the doctors to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) if they don’t return to serve and fulfil the terms of their engagement with the state government.
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The government gave the erring doctors two options: either to resume their duty posts in the state civil service, or refund all resources spent on their training by the state government.
“The Ministry of Health has declared them wanted. We will stop their salaries, track them until we find them.
“Any country they go to, we will go to the Medical and Dental Council of that country, and we will stop them.
“It is in their best interest to immediately report to the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Health, and we would not be held liable once the Medical and Dental Council begins to sit.
“Now that they’ve not been invited and there is no issue, we ask that their families reach out to them to immediately report to the Ministry of Health,” he stated.