Medical doctors at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owo, and its Akure Annex have commenced a 72-hour warning strike following the alleged assault of a doctor by a patient’s relative within the hospital premises.
The industrial action was declared by the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), FMC Owo, after a doctor on duty was reportedly attacked while attending to patients on Sunday.
According to reports, the wife of a patient allegedly assaulted the doctor during the course of his duties. The situation reportedly escalated when some individuals later stormed the hospital in search of the doctor, forcing staff members to move him to a secure location within the facility for his safety.
In a communiqué jointly signed by the association’s President, Dr. Adeola Oluwadamilola, and Secretary-General, Dr. Dare Aderemi, the doctors condemned the incident, describing it as part of a growing trend of violence against healthcare workers in Nigeria.
The association alleged that the doctor was physically assaulted by a patient and the patient’s daughter, noting that the incident marked the second attack on a doctor recorded at the institution this year.
Expressing concern over the safety of healthcare professionals, the resident doctors demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of all individuals involved in the attack. They also called for the deployment of armed security personnel to FMC Owo and its annexes to prevent future incidents.
Other demands include a public apology by the alleged assailant in a national newspaper and adequate compensation for the affected doctor.
The doctors maintained that ensuring the safety of healthcare workers is essential to effective healthcare delivery and warned that repeated attacks on medical personnel could negatively affect service delivery in public health institutions.
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