There have been mass discharge of patients at the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH) following the partial strike embarked upon by staff of the hospital.
Doctors and other health workers began a sit at work strike over the Monday’s abduction of their Chief Medical Director, Prof. Sylvanus Okogbenin.
Two policemen were killed during the abduction.
Other patients at the hospital whose case required critical attention were retained by the doctors still offering skeletal services.
Public Relations Officer of the Hospital, Odijie Ernest Ohue, said, “We are yet to be contacted by the kidnappers. We are worried and the workers have continued their strike because they are pained about the incident. The man has been doing a great work here. Some parents have come to withdraw their wards because of the strike”.
Meanwhile, State Commissioner of Police, Mr. DanMallam Mohammed, said the police are on the trail of the kidnappers.
Speaking to newsmen after a closed door security meeting with Governor Godwin Obaseki, Mohammed described the abduction of the CMD as unfortunate and sad.
He said, “We lost two of our gallant police officers in the incident but there were no civilian casualties. I am assuring members of the public that we are on the trail of the kidnappers and by God’s grace, we shall arrest them.
“Investigation is already ongoing but the strategy will not be revealed for security reasons. However, we assure Edo people that the CMD will be rescued soon. We are on top of our game and will surely rescue him as we have been doing a lot of work along our major highways in the state.
READ ALSO: ‘How CMD was abducted in Edo’
“Edo State is the most peaceful state in the South-South region of the country and we are putting in our best to ensure that the state remains peaceful. We are strategising to checkmate the activities of criminals,” he said.
Governor Obaseki, on his part, said efforts were on to rescue Prof. Okogbeni.
“We have stepped up surveillance in the past weeks in the state with our new security architecture. Citizens have been going about their daily activities peacefully. But the kidnap of the CMD is a setback. Edo people should be assured that security agencies will certainly trail the kidnappers and rescue Prof. Okogbeni. I just finished a closed-door meeting with security chiefs. I have been assured of his rescue as we have useful information and the security agencies are working on it. I pray we get in touch with the victim soon.
“We can’t disclose much at this time as security services are working hard. You know we made significant investment in our security architecture and hopefully we shall rescue him soon.”
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