UCTH Nurses Protest Arrest of Colleagues Over Patient’s Death

Nurses at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) staged a protest on Tuesday following the arrest of three colleagues by police after a patient died without proper records being taken.

Over 200 nurses blocked the hospital’s main gate, halting access to the facility. The protest stemmed from the death of a patient brought in by an unidentified Good Samaritan. Police accused the nurses of negligence for failing to document the patient’s details.

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Relatives of the deceased later discovered his SIM card was missing and demanded information about the individual who brought him in. When nurses could not provide answers, the police were called and three staff members were detained.

The protest later moved to the Cross River State Police Command headquarters, with nurses demanding the unconditional release of their colleagues. Hospital operations were disrupted, leaving some patients unable to receive care.

Police spokesperson Irene Ugbo criticised the nurses for failing to collect basic information from the person who admitted the patient. However, she confirmed that the state police commissioner had ordered the nurses’ release.