Doctors in Rivers threaten shutdown over harassment by police, army

The Doctors and Resident Doctors at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH), Port Harcourt, have threatened to shut down over the consistent harassment of its members by the security agencies on their way to work during the lockdown.

President of the Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, of the Rivers State Teaching Hospital, RSUTH Dr Mrs Josephine Sokolo, said other healthcare workers are being harassed on a daily bases, despite rendering essential services to Rivers people.

According to Dr Mrs Sokolo, “We have noticed with dismay, the continued harassment of our members and other health workers by the members of the Nigerian Police and Nigerian Military.

Health workers are working in this time despite the poor working condition, poor welfare packages, poor pay with no incentives, yet they are being harassed even after the waiver from the Rivers state government.

“We hereby appeal to the commissioner of police and the Commander of the 6 Division of Nigeria Army headquarters, Port Harcourt to desist from harassing our members and other healthcare workers, because if this persists, we have no order option to instruct our members to sit at home.

When contacted, the spokesman of the state Police Command, DSP Nnamdi Omoni said the command is not aware of the issue and urged the organization to make a proper complaint to the headquarters.

NAN