Management decries incessant assaults on Ogun FMC doctors, nurses

 Management of Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, has condemned what it calls incessant assaults on its doctors and nurses by some patients and their relatives.

Addressing newsmen on Tuesday in Abeokuta, the acting Medical Director, Fidelis Ojeblenu, said that the ugly trend had been going on for long, stressing that management would not fold its arms and watch it continue.

Supreme reports that Ojeblenu particularly reacted to the incident that happened on July 6, where a family member of a patient pounced on a doctor after the death of the patient.

Supreme also reports that the incident sparked a protest, resulting in the doctors and nurses embarking on strike, demanding that strict measures be put in place before they could return to work.

The acting MD warned that the hospital management would not condone such threats to the lives of its staff members and their property.

Ojeblenu said that the security architecture of the hospital had been overhauled to forestall further occurrences, just as he added that culprits would be made to face the consequences of their actions.

He also said that the culprit of the July 6 assault had been apprehended and handed over to the police for further investigation and necessary action.

“The services of our team are guided by professional regulations and standards. We recognise that patients and their relatives are distressed and burdened as they seek care. We strive to put smiles in their distressed faces.

“But, rather than commend us, what we receive is condemnation. This played out in the recurrent incidents of physical and verbal assaults on our health workers by patients and their relatives.

“Other times, property of the hospital were destroyed, all attributed to perceived ill-treatment and dissatisfaction.

“We also observed that such incidents are increasing in frequency. Usually, it used to be verbal assaults, but it’s now taking a new dimension of slapping and beating.

“There are lawful avenues for resolution of perceived ill-treatment or complaints by patients and their relatives without taking laws into their hands,” he added.

Ojeblenu said that a committee had been constituted by management to identify factors that might like be causing the frequent assault and suggest ways out.