Barely two days after a Nursing world NIgeria
correspondent reported on the alleged plan by
Dr Uwakwem to outsource various departments
of the FMC Owerri to her associates, a memo has
surfaced proposing that the FMC be managed by
getting Nurses recruited through an Agency on Contract basis. According to Dr Uwakwem's plan to enslave nurses
perpetually, she also plans to get an outside
laboratory services and also enslave the medical
laboratory scientist that would work under this
supposed "outside laboratories" under terms and
conditions that are untainable under human labor law.
You would recall that Dr Uwakwem had rushed to
open the newly completed amenity ward as a guise
for a need to urgently recruit nurses under contract
basis. The Nurses and the Nigerian Union of Allied Health
Professionals (NUAHP) have subsequently held a
protest. They noted that having succeeded in
privatising the mortuary, transport, security and
laundry departments, there are plans to privatise
other departments, especially the laboratory, Nursing and pharmacy departments if nothing is
done. They said that the plan to privatize and
outsource critical units of the hospital by the
outgoing Chief Medical Director and the board
members just at the tail end of the present
administration is questionable, suspicious and
not in good fate. Noting that every unit of the hospital has been
performing creditably well, the Chairman of NUAHP,
FMC Owerri chapter, Ezeugo Chika, said that the
reason cited by the management for the planned
privatization was baseless.
In a swift response to these allegations, the Chief Medical Director, Dr Angela Uwakwe, debunked the
accusations that the management was trying to
privatize the entire hospital, noting that it was just
some units.
She said that the board was still meeting to ratify
the proposed privatisation, insisting that it is a proposed Public Private Partnership (PPP) to make
the hospital services more efficient and effective.
However, the union have resolved to continue with
their protest if the alleged plans by the
management are not reversed.

In as much as government - owned institutions really need some guided private input as regards the management for efficient running of services , I still have my reservations towards privatisation of health care services.
Advantages include : reduction in incessant strike actions by health workers , less of redundant/unproductive staff , overall improved cost - effectiveness & a drastic decline in avoidable hospital moralities.
Drawbacks include , among others : increased incidence of casualization of staff , very low slots/none at all for internship &/or residency trainings , selective enrichment of a few individuals, etc.