By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal
The Association of Resident Doctors, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (ARD-UITH) on Wednesday in Ilorin commenced five days warning strike action over assault on their member.
Dr. Mariam Shiru, the President of ARD-UITH stated this during a news conference organized during the protests.
She pointed out that there will be a total shutdown of work from the association to show their grievance on the assault that has become frequent on their members.
Shiru explained that the incident occurred at the Cardiac Centre; the Echocardiography room where the resident doctor discharging his clinical duty was slapped thrice on the cheek.
According to her, the doctor was also kicked in the groin by the son of a patient, and this inflicted physical and psychological trauma on the victim.
“The doctor is devasted, and we are not assured of our security. There is the ambiance of fear and insecurity.
“We condemn this act of violence in the strongest possible terms. Our members are committed to providing quality care to patients despite the poor state of the hospital facility, and chronic manpower shortage.
“There is also burnout of our members, problems that are due to no fault of our members It is unacceptable that they should face physical harm while discharging their duty with due diligence and within the ambiance of the law,” she said.
Shiru observed that this incident is one of many cases of assault on medical doctors in UITH resulting in a disruption in service delivery to the good citizens of Kwara.
She added that this had also led to the loss of lives of patients and properties of members and the hospital.
The ARD-UITH president also recalled that the association had reported a case of physical violence against a medical doctor by three patient relatives.
“The relatives pinned him to the wall by holding his throat and landed several blows on his face before he was rescued.
“It has been two years since the perpetrator was charged in court, yet judgment is still pending.
“This delay in the administration of justice is perpetuating a culture of impunity and undermining the safety and well-being of healthcare professionals,” she said.
Shiru noted that these cases of assault did not occur in isolation but stemmed from the rising insecurity of the environment at the Hospital where doctors have been experiencing a series of thefts of valuables while discharging their duties.
She disclosed that the association had recorded properties of doctors stolen, adding that a female resident doctor in the call room had her phone forcefully taken from her hand while she was operating it.
She attributed this to gross deficiency of security personnel within the hospital with some points left with no security at all.
“The absence of adequate security personnel in the UITH has therefore created an environment where doctors are vulnerable to assault and theft.
“This is unacceptable and poses a significant risk to delivering quality healthcare services,” she said.
Shiru added that the Association commends the hospital management for the prompt arrest of the culprit of this index case and for supporting the association’s demand for justice and security measures.
She, however, calls for comprehensive medical evaluation and management of the victim with the cost to be borne by the assailant.
According to her, the management should expedite the conclusion to the last prosecution and expedite the prosecution of the current case.
She also demands a total overhaul of the current security system in the hospital and also pays damages to the victim by the assailant.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the doctors carried placards with inscription such as, “Doctors Lives Matter, Stop Violence Against Doctors and Doctors Saves Lives, Don’t Kill Us”.
In her reaction, Mrs. Elizabeth Ajiboye, the Director of Corporate Affairs of the UITH, said the management is aware of the incident
She described the incident as unacceptable, adding that the families of the patient were impatient because they felt they were not attended to on time.
“The management is on top of the issue and services at the hospital are uninterrupted. All our staff are protected because there is a Police post within the premises of the hospital,” she said.
She advised patients to take their complaints to the Servicom Units if they feel dissatisfied.