Doctor and nurse beaten after patient dies

Unhappy family members descended heavily on a medical doctor and a nurse at the Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta after losing their family member.

Pandemonium broke out around 2:00 am on Tuesday at the emergency ward of the hospital shortly after a 53-year-old female patient died.

Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Ogun State Chapter, Dr Kunle Ashimi while briefing newsmen, condemned the attack on two of the medical workers by the husband and son of the patient who died of heart failure.

Ashimi said  Dr Pelumi Somorin was the doctor assaulted while the identity of the nurse had not been ascertained.

He explained that the father and son slapped the doctor while the death of their relative was announced to them.

According to Ashimi, a 53-year-old woman who was presented to the hospital with a severe form of heart failure which in itself after all the investigations including the ones she brought from the centre that referred her showed that it will take more than a miracle for the woman to survive.

“In other words, she was at the end stage of heart failure. This was explained to the relatives when she was brought to the facility but, notwithstanding we also believe in miracles and we feel that we should do our best to see what can happen.

“It has happened before that one other person in this kind of condition got better with the appropriate care.

“But unfortunately, this particular patient gave up the ghost around 2 am and the husband and son of the deceased descended on the doctor that had been taking care of the patient when the news of her death was announced.

“The doctor received a slap from each of them and subsequently they descended on her and she was only saved by people around.”

“A nurse was also assaulted by these people.”

The association chairman noted that police were alerted about the incident, adding that despite their presence the son continued with the assault.

“The police were appropriately called and the DPO of Kempta Police Station led the police team to the scene.

“Despite the presence of the police, the son of the deceased assaulted a nurse and all efforts to calm him proved abortive.

“The duo were  eventually taken to Kemta Police Station where their statements were taken and that of the assaulted doctor, nurse and witnesses around.”

The NMA chairman, however, warned Nigerians to desist from assaulting healthcare givers, vowing that anyone found guilty would be brought to book.

“We have decided that this will be the last and we will not stop at pleadings. We have decided to take the case to the court and we shall be in court tomorrow.

“Every legal proceeding has been commenced and we shall take this case to the court.

“We want to make an appeal and as well as a warning to all those who use hospital services in Ogun state that the Nigerian Medical Association, as well as its affiliates and each individual doctor, will not henceforth accept the term we are ‘sorry’ from anybody who assaults any of our members.

“We will go to any length to prosecute such persons and we will not accept the pleading of anybody no matter how highly placed the person is.

“So, we implore anybody who has the mind to perhaps think they can beg us later to please beg the populace. It is not our fault.”

Ashimi stressed that assault against medical personnel had become a global issue which is yet to be resolved despite several campaigns to curb the menace.

He said “globally, this is an issue that has been ongoing and several campaigns have been mounted all over the world against violence and assault that are melted out to health workers.

“Particularly at the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Ogun State and other hospitals around Ogun State which are under our own jurisdiction as the Nigerian Medical Association.

“We have mounted several campaigns against this event in the past and after a lot of pleading, we have had to plead with our doctors to accept the apologies of those that assaulted them.

“Things like this are not abating. In fact, this occurs very often in emergency cases.”

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP, Abimbola Oyeyemi could not be reached as of the time of filing this report.

(Punch)