Doctors in Port Harcourt protest over incessant kidnappings of colleagues

Members of the Nigerian Medical Association
staged a protest yesterday over the increased rate
of abduction of medical practitioners in the state.
The doctors came out in large numbers for the
peaceful protest. Some of them were seen on
their laboratory coats carrying placards, others
just held their stethoscope.
Former chairman of the NMA Dr, Ibitorukuemi
Kurubo explained the purpose of the protest:
“When people are sick or when we want to
take deliveries of babies we don’t call
security agencies to do it for us. For
instance, Lassa Fever issue is on. We are
confronting it. Two doctors have died in the
process, that is our job. We are trained to
do it and we must treat patients no matter
how deadly the diseases are because that
is our job. Security agencies in the state
must rise up and do their job.
“The peaceful protest today is to send a
clear warning that if there is anymore
kidnap of doctors in the state, NMA will
take a far reaching decision,”
The doctors marched to the police headquarters
to complain about the fact that twenty one
practicing medical doctors in the state have been
kidnapped lately, eleven of them were kidnapped
within the last few days, one died in the hands of
the kidnappers while others were severely injured.
They met with the commissioner of police, Musa
Kimo who sympathized with them, and promised
them that more efforts would be made to protect
them.