COVID 19: Controversy trails deployment of epidemiologist in A’Ibom

There is palpable tension and intensive misgivings between the Akwa Ibom state government and the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) over the appointment of Dr. Ntiense Umoette as new state epidemiologist to replace Dr. Aniekeme Uwah.

In a statement issued in Uyo on Sunday, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dominic Ukpong announced the appointment of Dr. Umoette as the current epidemiologist for the state, adding that the appointment was an internal reorganization of the COVID- 19 committee to match skill and competence.

“This appointment is an internal reorganization to match skill and competence to roles,” the commissioner asserted.

The statement reads in parts: “Until her appointment, Dr. Umoette was deputy state epidemiologist. She is a graduate of medicine and surgery and holds a Master of Public Health, Medical Epidemiology Practice. She has also attended several World Health Organisation training programmes.”

But, the state chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) said the former etate Epidemiologist, Dr. Aniekeme Uwah was removed from office as a punishment for disobeying instructions from the commissioner for health concerning the number of samples from the state to the National Centre for Disease Control ( NCDC) for testing.

Speaking on an Inspiration FM Radio programme in the state on Sunday, the Public Relations Officer of NMA, Dr. Emmanuel John alleged that the former state epidemiologist asked questions why he was directed to take only 10 samples to the NCDC for testing out of many from the state.

“He (Dr. Aniekeme Uwah) asked why and the commissioner replied that Cross River state has no case because they are not testing; this is how we went about testing HIV and became number one in the country.

“”The Akwa Ibom state commissioner for health came up with a policy that anybody that wants to get tested for COVID-19 must be cleared by the state government which Dr. Aniekeme Uwah objected to.

“There is no such thing as aggressive testing in Akwa Ibom state. I don’t even understand what that means. So far, no more than 90 persons have been tested. I don’t have the exact number, the state epidemiologist has the correct number.

“As at when the commissioner for health called, Dr. Aniekeme Uwah had already tested 19 persons.

“The 20th person waiting to be tested when the call came was a senior doctor, a nephrologist who has being exposed to COVID- 19 and is self-isolating at the moment.

“What Dr. Uwah did by testing 31 persons who met the case definition saved this state great embarrassment if the people waiting to be tested were turned back for no clinical reason and also saved the society from community infection, should they turn positive,” the NMA spokesman declared.

He said the commissioner acted against the directives from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and National Centre for Disease Control in handling COVID 19 pandemic testing.

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Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ukpong, has debunked claims that the former epidemiologist was sacked from incident management committee of COVID-19 in the state.

In another statement issued by Dr. Abraham Anklak in Uyo, the health commissioner said, Dr. Uwah was only deployed to another section in the ministry not outright sack as portrayed in the social media.

“I met with Dr. Aniekeme Uwah about 8:30pm today, to confirm the true state of things with regards the news being circulated and he said that he has had a cordial relationship with his boss, the commissioner.

“That he speaks with him regularly, every evening at about 9pm and he briefs him on work done,” the statement added.