Resident doctors demand arrest of suspects, enhanced hospital security, and compensation for victim following attack at federal medical facility.
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 medical 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 on Sunday while attending to patients. According to the association, the incident began when the wife of a patient allegedly assaulted the doctor, while other individuals later stormed the hospital searching for him, forcing staff members to move the physician to a secure location for his safety.
In a communiqué signed by ARD President, Dr. Adeola Oluwadamilola, and Secretary-General, Dr. Dare Aderemi, the association described the incident as part of a growing trend of violence against healthcare workers. The doctors alleged that the victim was assaulted by a patient and the patient’s daughter, noting that it was the second attack on a doctor recorded at the institution this year.
The association is demanding the immediate arrest and prosecution of those involved, the deployment of armed security personnel to FMC Owo and its annexes, a public apology published in a national newspaper by the alleged assailant, and adequate compensation for the affected doctor. The strike is expected to affect healthcare services at the facility during the three-day industrial action.