From Abubakar Abdullahi, in Lafia
The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Keffi have protested an assault on a female colleague by family members of a deceased patient.
Dr Dabot Thomas, President of the ARD FMC Keffi branch made this known in Keffi Local Government Area of Nasarawa state on Wednesday shortly after leading members on a peaceful protest around the medical center.
Inscriptions on some of the placards were “Females can be doctors too and we deserve optimum respect”, “All this hardwork? Wetin e get me? 4 hot slaps!”, “Say no to doctors assault. Let’s be guided,” among others.
According to Thomas, the protest was as a result of an assault on a female doctor who was allegedly slapped several times by family members of a deceased patient in the medical center on Tuesday night.
“She was assaulted together with a hospital attendant when they wanted to pass through a walkway crowded by family members of the deceased patient.
“She was attacked by four of the deceased patient’s relatives and slapped on multiple occasions. She took permission to pass the walkway but was rather assaulted.
“From the information we gathered, the attackers just lost their father and the doctor who was not part of those managing the deceased was on her way to attend to other patients when the incident happened,” he said.
Thomas who said the incident occurred around 11pm on Tuesday night bemoaned that this was not the first time doctors have been assaulted in the medical center, hence the decision to protest so as to put an end to the physical attacks on doctors in the center.
“The congress has now taken a decision and we are going to stand by the decision.The decision is to down tools for at least 72 hours,” he said.
Responding to the protesters, Dr Yahaya Adamu, Chief Medical Director of FMC Keffi assured them of a coordinated investigation that would involve security outfits such as the Nigerian Police Force and Department of State Security (DSS) to unravel those involved in the assault.
“It is quite unfortunate and nobody will support criminality. I can assure you they will not go free. We are going to go after them and we ensure they face the wrath of the law for their actions. If it means going on a court case we will do that.
“This is pure criminality. So let’s not take it as a union thing. Somebody commits criminality then he is a criminal and he should be treated as one.
“Out of the four that slapped the doctor, one has already been arrested and that is a suggestion that we are serious about the issue.
“I want to tell you right from the bottom of my heart that this thing hurts me and it hurts me deeply, and we are going to follow it up,” he said.
