Posted on: Tue 21-06-2022

INTRODUCTION 

It is with great displeasure that I stand before you at this trying time in our profession, where a series of despicable incidents threatens the survival of this noble profession. I express with dismay the rising cases of workplace assault on doctors in this hospital, in which one most recently involved a female Medical House Officer. 

On Thursday 16th of June 2022, a female doctor was forcefully held hostage, confined and verbally assaulted while discharging her duty, by a Senior Nurse in the Female Adult Orthopedic ward (FAOW). 

The female house officer had gone to the said ward with her team which included different cadres of doctors, to carry out a procedure (central line placement) on the only patient in the ward at that time. 

The team on arrival at 4:30pm informed the nurse on duty. 

After obtaining the patient's consent, they requested for a trolley from the nurse who pointed  the trolley to them and told them to get it. 

In order not to waste time because the team already got a call from children emergency to see a patient, the house officer willingly brought the trolley. 

After the procedure, the team discarded appropriately all sharps used. They wrapped the empty kit with the drape used and kept on the lowest shelf of the trolley and wiped the topmost part of the trolley clean and moved the trolley away from the patient's bedside. 

They proceeded to document for the patient and were leaving the ward when the house officer was accosted that she should go and discard the waste. The house officer was the last to leave so the nurse went to block her way asking her to go back and discard the waste and when she didn't answer, the matron locked the gate with the padlock.

As if that wasn't enough, she started shouting and rained a lot of insults on her to the extent that nurses from other wards came to Plead with her to stop and open the gate but she refused. One of the other nurses even offered to bring her attendant to come and help with the waste but she declined. 

Despite several pleas, the nurse vowed never to let the doctor out no matter who comes from Abuja. We have the video evidence of this incidence, it took the effort of many people (Staffs and passerby) to persuade the nurse to release the doctor. 

This is a totally unfortunate and unacceptable occurrence and following this, an Emergency General Meeting of members of our association was called on Friday 17th June 2022, and the following resolutions made: 

1. Members are to embark on a totals 48-hour warning strike starting from 8am on Tuesday, 21st June 2022 to 7.59 am on Thursday, 23rd June, 2022.
2. The hospital management to institute a fact-finding committee to look into the incident at FAOW and appropriate disciplinary measures meted against whoever is found culpable, failure of which the house will re-examine the situation at the July 2022 OGM. 
3. The hospital management should come up with a document detailing the job description of all clinical staffs within the next four weeks, failure of which the house will re-examine the situation at the July 2022 OGM. We believe this is in line with best global practice. 

APPRECIATION 

On behalf of the entire membership of the Association of Resident Doctors, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, and the executive committee, I express our heart-felt gratitude to the following:

1. Our Past Presidents 

2. The leader, South-West Caucus of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) 

3. The President and National Officers Committee, NARD 

4. The Chairman, Nigerian Medical Association, Osun state chapter 

Long live ARD OAUTHC! 

Long live the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors!! 

Long live the Nigerian Medical Association!!! 

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!!

Signed:

Dr. Nana, Fayowole O. 

President 

Dr. Anuforo, Anthony C. 

General Secretary

Dr. Adelaja, Olasubomi M.

Public Relations Officer 

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