The Akwa Ibom State Government has declared two medical doctors wanted for allegedly abandoning their duty posts after receiving eight years of state-sponsored training.
The medical practitioners who ditched their positions after completing their training are Uduakabasi Ita, a Consultant Radiologist, and Mfonobong George Bassey, a Consultant Hematologist.
The Commissioner for Health, Ekem Emmanuel John, made the announcement during a press conference in Uyo on Tuesday.
“The Ministry of Health has declared them wanted. We will stop their salaries; track them until we find them. Any country they go to, we will go to the Medical and Dental Council of that country and we will stop them,” he said.
According to John, the two medical personnel deserted their positions despite a binding agreement requiring them to serve the state for a specified period after their training.
“It is in their best interest to immediately report to the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Health as we will not be held liable once the Medical and Dental Council begins to sit.
“Now that they have not been invited and there is no issue, we ask that their families reach out to them to immediately report to the Ministry of Health,” he said.
The commissioner further warned that going forward, all health professionals trained by the state must complete their mandatory service years before resigning or moving elsewhere, stressing that Akwa Ibom would no longer condone breaches of such agreements.
He commended Gov. Umo Eno for declaring a state of emergency in the health sector, adding that Akwa Ibom was positioned for the best health system under the ARISE Agenda of the present administration.
