The Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, has called on the Commissioner for Police, the Directorate of State Security Services and other relevant Security agencies in the state to urgently identify, arrest and prosecute the perpetrators of the physical assaults on medical doctors and other health workers at the Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja.
This forms part of the communique issued at the end of the Association’s emergency meeting of the State Officers Council, (SOC) held on Wednesday in Lokoja.
The Communique, which was jointly signed by NMA Chairman in Kogi State, Dr Baoku Olusola and Acting Secretary, Dr Ugoh Stanley, on Thursday, fingered the Majority Leader, Kogi State House of Assembly, Mr Suleiman Abdulrazak, as the person who led the dastardly attack on Doctors and other health workers while carrying out their lawful duties at the hospital.
While noting that the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of the incident will serve as a deterrent to others and forestall a repeat of such in the future, the medical body condemned the wanton act of unprovoked and flagrant violence visited on doctors on duty
Explaining what transpired at the hospital that led to the alleged physical assaults, the NMA said, “Our members were fully on duty when an unconscious patient was brought in from another Hospital outside Lokoja in the afternoon of 23rd January 2024.”
“Following admission, his management was commenced by our colleagues. However, despite all efforts, the patient passed on a short while later, and the relatives were duly informed.
“Unfortunately, some of the relatives, who were angered by the loss, became furious and physically descended on doctors and other health workers who had to run for their lives. One of our members who sustained direct blunt chest trauma from a physical object thrown at him and subsequently thrown punches by one of the assailants had a Chest X-ray in another facility and is under surveillance.
“With more assailants joining those on the ground, the incident escalated fast to some fearful and life-threatening scenes within the hospital, which culminated in our colleagues leaving the hospital premises for their safety. In the aftermath, our affiliate body in the hospital: the Association of Resident Doctors, released a communique on the sad incident, and the Hospital Management has also put out an official statement detailing what happened and efforts have been made to address the utterly embarrassing incident”.
The communique, while commiserating with the families of the deceased on the life lost, equally called on all relevant stakeholders to re-evaluate and re-appraise the security apparatus in the Hospital in a bid to prevent a recurrence.
It also adds, “We want to equally sympathize and identify with our colleagues at Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja at this critical period, and thank God for safeguarding their lives throughout their ordeal in the hands of these merciless assailants.
“It is evident that it will take an overhaul of the security apparatus on the ground to truly restore confidence in our colleagues as they go about their daily routine duties.
“We salute the bravery, mastery and experience of the Chief Security Officer of the hospital and other security men on duty who made sure no one was shot during the armed struggle with the attackers who struggled to disarm them in their bid to unleash more mayhem on our colleagues.
“The Congress of Association of Resident Doctors, (ARD) Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja, (FTHL) should be rest assured of our unalloyed support in their quest for their safety in their workplace. We wish to call on the management of the teaching hospital to urgently look into the pressing issues presented to them by the Congress of ARD, FTHL in their Communique”, the Communique added.
Meanwhile, Majority Leader, Kogi State House of Assembly, Suleiman Abdulrazaq, has debunked viral reports that he led thugs to assault medical personnel at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja.
The lawmaker was alleged to have led some persons believed to be thugs who attacked doctors, nurses and other staff of the hospital after he lost a patient in the health facility on Tuesday.
Speaking with newsmen in Lokoja, Suleiman said he was the actual victim of the incident that played out at the teaching hospital.
He narrated how his father-in-law fell ill in Okene and was referred to the federal medical centre but was abandoned by medical personnel till he died.
