Medical doctors in Anambra State, Nigeria, have called off the indefinite strike they began on Thursday after the release of a kidnapped colleague, Dr. Steven Ezeh.
The doctors, under the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), had taken the drastic action to protest the abduction of Dr. Ezeh, a private practitioner and Chief Medical Director of Vera Clinic, Ihiala.
He was kidnapped at his home in Umunnamehi Village on August 15, triggering widespread concern among healthcare professionals in the state.
Following the abduction, the NMA issued a warning and gave the state government a 48-hour ultimatum to secure Dr. Ezeh’s release. When the government failed to meet this deadline, the doctors fulfilled their threat to go on strike, withdrawing their services from both public and private hospitals across Anambra.
The impact of the strike was immediate, leaving patients across the state in distress. One affected resident, Mrs. Onyekachi Ugwueze, shared her experience at Regina Caeli Hospital, where doctors were unavailable, forcing her family to resort to self-medication for her mother. “Friday was a horrible day for us,” she said.
The strike also led to the cancellation of a free medical outreach program, further highlighting the toll on healthcare access for many vulnerable individuals.
Relief came on Sunday when Dr. Ezeh was released, prompting the NMA to suspend the strike. In a joint statement, NMA Chairman Dr. Princeton Okam and Secretary Dr. Obiaeli Ifeanyi announced the return to work, while also thanking the people of Anambra for their patience during the ordeal.
