The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Ogun State Chapter, has decried assaults against medical personnel at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta, by patients and their relatives.
They were advised to channel their grievances and complaints to the appropriate quarters.
The NMA chairman, Dr Kunle Ashimi, gave the warning during a press conference, on Wednesday, in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, saying that assaults on medical personnel were unacceptable.
“Around 4 am, I received a distress call from Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, where a medical doctor, Dr Pelumi Somorin, was attacked by relatives of a patient.
“A 53-year-old woman who was presented in the hospital yesterday with a severe form of heart failure which in itself after all the investigations including the one she brought from the centre that referred her showed that it will take more than a miracle for this woman to survive.
“This was explained to the relatives when they brought in the patient. We felt that we would do our best and see what could happen.
“Unfortunately, this particular patient gave up the ghost just around 2 am and the next thing that the husband and son of this late patient would do is to descend on the doctor that has been taking care of this patient.
“When the news of her death was broken to them, the doctor received a slap each from these two individuals and subsequently they descended upon and she was only saved by people around.
“Despite the presence of the police, the young son of the late woman went ahead to assault a nurse. He was eventually as well as his father taken to Kemta Police Station where statements were taken from them as well as the assaulted doctor and the witnesses around.
“I have decided that this will be the last incident. We have decided to take this case to the court, and we shall be in court tomorrow. Every legal proceeding has commenced and we shall see this case to the court.
“We want to make an appeal as well as a warning to all those who use hospital services anywhere in Ogun State that the Nigeria medical association, as well as its affiliate and each individual doctor, may not henceforth accept ” we are sorry” from anybody who assaults any of our members.
“We will go to any length to prosecute such persons and we would not accept the pleading of anybody no matter highly pleased,” he said.
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