Patients were left stranded at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yenagoa, on Thursday as doctors downed tools indefinitely over the alleged assault and abduction of one of their colleagues by security personnel.
The crisis reportedly erupted following the death of a patient receiving treatment at the hospital.
The deceased was said to have been brought to the FMC by men from one of the armed forces organisations.
Trouble allegedly started after the patient died, with some security personnel reportedly attacking the doctor on duty and whisking him away to an undisclosed location.
Angered by the alleged treatment of their colleague, the Bayelsa State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) ordered its members to withdraw their services indefinitely.
The industrial action immediately threw the hospital into turmoil, forcing several patients and their relatives to leave the facility in search of medical attention elsewhere.
The hospital’s Public Relations Officer, Akpedi Bernard, confirmed the incident, saying the matter was being handled by the management.
The development has raised concerns over the impact of the doctors’ withdrawal on patients who depend on the FMC for medical care.
