Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
Resident doctors at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo in Ondo State on Monday staged a peaceful protest over what they described as recurring assaults on medical personnel within the hospital, following a recent attack on a colleague by relatives of a patient.
The demonstration, led by members of the Association of Resident Doctors, FMC Owo branch, took place within the hospital premises, with participants carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs to demand better protection for health workers.
The protest comes amid growing concern within the facility over what doctors say is a pattern of violence against staff, which they claim has persisted despite repeated complaints to hospital authorities.
Chairman of the association, Dr. Oluwadamilola Adeola, said the action was intended to draw attention to repeated cases of attacks on doctors and other health workers at the centre.
“It has been recurring. This year alone, we have had about three or four cases. Some are even unreported. We are standing to sensitise our people that enough is enough to assault health workers.
“The hand they use should not bleed. The aim of this demonstration is to demand arrest and prosecution of perpetrators, and we want this done in earnest because our members are not satisfied with the slow pace of justice.
“We also want armed security personnel at our gates so that our people will feel secure to work. We are also demanding a public apology from the perpetrators so that it will serve as a deterrent,” he said.
He added that the situation had already affected operations in parts of the hospital system, noting that doctors at the Akure annex were currently observing an industrial action over safety concerns.
“Currently, we are on strike at our Akure annex because our people there do not feel safe. We do not have armed security personnel there and the gate is porous. We want the management to address this urgently.
“We have a pending case earlier in the year where a health worker was assaulted and hospitalised. Nothing has been done. The person involved even threatened to return and kidnap and kill a doctor. We cannot wait until a doctor is killed,” he said.
Dr. Adeola warned that continued inaction could lead to a breakdown of industrial harmony at the facility if the demands of the association are not addressed.
Also speaking during the protest, a Senior Registrar in the Department of Family Medicine, Dr. Dotun Odumade, said the demonstration was aimed at reinforcing the call for an end to violence against healthcare workers.
“We want increased awareness within the hospital and community that the hospital is a place of serenity. There is no room for jungle justice. If patients or relatives are not satisfied with care, there are proper channels for complaints and redress.
“We also want hospital management to ensure armed security personnel are deployed to maintain order. If the hospital space is not made safe, we cannot assure continued services,” he said.
