Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

Health workers in the Rivers state Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital, BMSH,Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital, under the aegies of Emergency Health Workers Union today disrupted health services rendered at the hospital protesting over 11 months of unpaid emoluments.

Mr. Allwell Wali, spokesman of Emergency Health Workers Union,comprising  the drivers, morgue attendants,  surgical theatre staff and others  lamented they had earlier embarked on a-seven day warning strike to draw the attention of the Management of the hospital.

Nothing was done.

They embarked on another 21 day warning strike with an ultimatum that if nothing was done to pay them they would shut down the hospital gates. Both the management and the state government ignored them.   Hence their  resort to public protest.

Five months since assuming office as the  Governor of  the state,Nyesom Wike,has not appointed any Commissioner for Health. And so far, there has been no government response to the demands of the workers.

Rivers State Chairman of Nigerian Medical Association, NBA,Dr.Ibuforo Green,had called on the state government to declare a state of emergency in the Health sector to fix the decadence in the sector.

“The last administration focused mainly on primary healthcare, and this has grossly affected the secondary and tertiary healthcare delivery in the state”, he said.