There was pandemonium on Sunday, November 25, 2018 as a gang of robbers allegedly stormed the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital to commit some unimaginable crime including abduction of some newly born babies, stealing wads of cash and sexually assault
It was gathered that the robbers didn’t wear masks, were well armed and easily gained entry into the maternity section, and confidently moved from bed to bed to pick up the babies.
A nurse seen consoling a sobbing nursing mother who pleaded not to be named, said;
“Yesterday (Sunday) night, several armed robbers gained access to this (paediatric) unit. They came with guns and machetes. They beat up my colleagues and some nursing mothers. They took away some babies and money from the patients and nursing mothers.
The security in this hospital has been very porous. Lives of patients, nurses and doctors are at risk. There is nowhere in this hospital that is safe. There is so much stealing going on. Visitors are no longer controlled. People troop into the wards without any check. Many, including thieves, come in the guise of being patients’ relatives.
“Hospital properties are stolen frequently, while electricity supply is a big challenge in the hospital, because the diesel and generator parts are stolen frequently by the workers and armed robbers.”
It was also reported that the armed robbers numbered about 10 into the paediatric unit of the hospital, reportedly assaulted nurses on duty as well as nursing mothers and pregnant women in an operation and also stole mobile telephones in the attack which lasted for less than 10 minutes.
Chief Medical Director, UCTH, Prof. Thomas Agan, denied the occurrence of the incident when he was contacted on the phone on Monday, as it was further gathered that personnel of private security firms and regular policemen had for some months now withdrawn their services to the hospital over non-payment of their salaries by the management of the health institution several months.
