The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), Prof. Ememabasi Bassey, struggled to hold back tears on Wednesday as he narrated how Tuesday’s violent confrontation between operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and hospital staff exposed critically ill patients to avoidable deaths and paralysed services at the federal health institution.

Visibly emotional during an emergency press conference in Uyo, Prof. Bassey warned that the chaos triggered by the armed operation had endangered patients in intensive care units, emergency wards and neonatal sections after terrified doctors and nurses abandoned their duty posts for safety.

The CMD disclosed that the disruption had practically grounded activities at the hospital, leaving vulnerable patients stranded and critical medical services severely affected.

“We are appealing to our colleagues and unions to consider the human lives involved. Patients are suffering. Newborn babies and critically ill persons are at risk. Whatever grievances we have, human life must come first,” Bassey pleaded.

He assured that management was making frantic efforts alongside senior medical personnel to stabilise critical units and ensure that patients still receiving treatment were not abandoned.

Our correspondent reports that tension erupted at the tertiary hospital on Tuesday when EFCC operatives stormed the facility in an attempt to arrest Prof. Eyo Ekpe, a cardiothoracic surgeon and Deputy Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee, over issues relating to the authentication of an alleged fake medical report linked to an ongoing investigation.

What initially appeared to be a routine official operation reportedly degenerated into confusion after the operatives allegedly attempted to forcefully remove the doctor from his office, provoking resistance from medical workers and hospital staff.

Eyewitnesses alleged that armed operatives subsequently fired tear gas canisters and gunshots into the air within the hospital premises, creating panic among patients, visitors and workers.

Meanwhile, an aggrieved relative of a patient who spoke with our correspondent at the Accident and Emergency Unit lamented that a young man believed to be in his mid-20s died shortly after the invasion because medical personnel who should have attended to him allegedly fled for safety during the commotion.

The CMD, while recounting the sequence of events, explained that the EFCC had earlier requested the hospital to verify the authenticity of a medical report purportedly issued on behalf of a suspect under investigation.

According to him, internal checks later revealed that the document was fake and not officially issued by the hospital.

“Some actors working in concert with lawyers or whoever for the suspect had opened a folder with no official footing and written a fake medical report on it,” he alleged.

Prof. Bassey stated that Prof. Ekpe was only assigned the responsibility of authenticating the report before the confrontation unfolded.

Narrating his ordeal, Prof. Ekpe accused the operatives of humiliating and assaulting him publicly despite interventions by colleagues.

“He started pushing me and dragged me out of the office into the walkway. I started crying because I could not understand the level of force being used,” he recounted.

Condemning the operation, Prof. Bassey insisted that the hospital management was never formally contacted before the attempted arrest.

“All they needed to do was place a phone call to me. This issue did not have to degenerate into violence and fear inside a hospital,” he said.

Describing hospitals as sacred environments, the CMD stressed that armed operations within healthcare facilities posed grave dangers to innocent patients.

“A hospital is a hallowed ground, comparable only to a place of worship. You do not invade such a place with chaos and intimidation,” he added.

He further disclosed that many departments had been temporarily paralysed following the incident, with traumatised staff unwilling to return to work immediately.

“Right now, because of the unforeseen circumstances, services have been severely disrupted. We are practically shut down, and we pray this situation is resolved urgently,” he lamented.

Prof. Bassey also revealed that he personally visited the EFCC office in Uyo and volunteered himself for questioning in a bid to secure the release of detained hospital personnel.

Despite condemning the conduct of the operatives involved, he maintained that the EFCC remained a critical institution in Nigeria’s anti-corruption fight.

“Without the EFCC, many Nigerians would not even feel safe keeping money in banks. We should not rubbish an institution because of the actions of a few officers,” he noted.

Defending the response of the police during the standoff, the CMD disclosed that the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Police remained in communication with hospital authorities throughout the incident after he initially suspected that the armed men who invaded the premises were kidnappers.

Prof. Bassey appealed to the Federal Government, the Federal Ministry of Health and relevant authorities to urgently intervene and establish clear operational protocols for security agencies conducting activities within medical facilities.

“What is the cost of one human life? Is it worth putting innocent patients at risk?” he asked.