The Management of Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH), Lokoja, said it had taken the necessary and appropriate measures to ensure the safety of patients and staff of the facility.
The assurance is coming barely 48 hours after the staff and security personnel on duty at the facility were assaulted on Tuesday by infuriated relatives of a deceased patient.
The FTH Management gave the assurance in a statement by the Head of Public Relations of the Hospital, Abdulrahman Abdullahi, and made available to journalists on Thursday in Lokoja.
The statement emphasised the commitment of the hospital to sustaining its goal of delivering effective and efficient healthcare service to society while ensuring the safety and security of staff and patients under their care.
“The Management of Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH), Lokoja, wishes to inform the public that it has taken necessary and appropriate measures to ensure the safety of patients and staff of the facility following the unfortunate incidence of the past 24 hours during which some members of staff and security personnel on duty were assaulted by infuriated relatives of a now deceased patient.
“The patient was referred unconscious from Reference Hospital Okene, a sister hospital where he was being managed for Haemorrhagic (CVA) Stroke.
“He could not be admitted immediately on arrival because the 20-bed capacity emergency ward was fully occupied and the accompanying relatives were advised to seek care in an alternative health facility but they declined and opted to wait for a bed space.
“The emergency ward staff eventually admitted the patient within thirty minutes. Immediately a bed space was vacant and his care was continued, but his condition deteriorated thereafter, and following failed attempts at resuscitation, was certified dead.
“The relatives, who on arrival were aggrieved by the loss which they wrongly claimed to be due to negligence then began assaulting the emergency ward staff (Including Doctors, Nurses, Health Attendants, and Security Personnel) at their duty post, and many of whom fled to safety.
“The incidence subsequently spread to involve security personnel at the hospital gate by the attacking relatives and their friends who were mobilized into the hospital premises via phone calls by the attackers. The hospital management committee mobilised additional security reinforcements, leading to restoration of order.
“The Hospital Management while empathising with the family of the deceased, condemn emphatically, the unfortunate incident by the relatives who assaulted members of staff and security personnel present.
“The Hospital Management is currently reviewing the incidence in collaboration with the relevant security agencies and assures the public that the hospital remains committed to sustaining our goal to deliver effective and efficient health care service to the society while ensuring the safety and security of staff and patients under our care,” the statement read.
