Posted on: Sun 01-02-2015

PHYSICAL HARASSMENT AND ASSAULT OF MEDICAL DOCTORS ON DUTY BY STRIKING JOHESU MEMBERS AND THEIR AGENTS IN THE FCT:
BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!

PREAMBLE
The attention of the Nigerian Medical Association, Federal Capital Territory – Abuja (NMA-FCT) has been drawn to the violent assault, physical harassment and threats to lives of medical doctors at their duty posts in public health facilities in Abuja by some members of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) who have purportedly been on strike since last year. This press release has become necessary to alert the concerned authorities and all stakeholders to safeguard the lives our members and other health workers who have continued to render essential health services and saving lives in the midst of the needless strike.

THREAT TO SECURITY AND LIVES OF DOCTORS
We wish to chronicle the following events:
1. On Wednesday, the 21st of January, 2015, in a bizarre act of aggression, members of JOHESU invaded the premises of General Hospital, Gwarinpa brandishing dangerous weapons and unleashed terror on all personnel who had kept the hospital functioning including medical doctors. While many ran for their lives, a very senior medical doctor was terribly manhandled. The attackers broke down the entrance to the main block and that of the laboratory and shot canisters of tear gas within the hospital, causing severe respiratory distress to members of staff and defenseless patients, including premature babies. The senior medical doctor, an asthmatic nearly lost her life to the incident.

2. On Thursday, the 22nd of January, 2015, members of JOHESU invaded the National Hospital Abuja, intimidated, harassed, drove out all the personnel working in the various units of the hospitals and locked up some departments in the hospital. They went about their actions with impunity and ransacked the entire hospital driving away recently employed health workers.

3. On Monday, the 26th of January, 2015, members of JOHESU invaded the Research Laboratory in the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, where they harassed and physically assaulted a Consultant Pathologist together and his Research Assistants.

These are but a few of the reported repugnant acts of thuggery and gangsterism carried out by these JOHESU members since the commencement of their strike action, ostensibly angered by the fact that Doctors have been successfully attending to patients in all hospitals, notwithstanding their strike action.

DOCTORS ARE NOT ON STRIKE
NMA-FCT wishes to place on record that DOCTORS ARE NOT ON STRIKE and have been working diligently to deliver services within limits of human resources, ingenuity, intellect and innovation required to save lives. We report that clinical services are ongoing in various Government hospitals:

1. At the Federal Staff Hospital, Jabi - Abuja. The hospital is fully operational

2. At the National Hospital Abuja, all out-patient clinics are running fully, accident and emergencies are being catered for at the National Trauma Centre, Special Treatment Clinics are fully operational. Emergency care is being provided for both adults and paediatrics. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and the adult Intensive Care Unit are both fully operational. Surgical services are also being rendered.

3. At the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, all clinical services are fully operational. Out-patient clinics are being run, the Labour Ward, Emergency Paediatric Unit and Special Baby Care Unit are fully operational. Radiological and other investigational services are operational and elective surgical cases are being attended.

4. All the FCT General Hospitals are running clinical services.

 

OUR OBSERVATIONS
Whereas these JOHESU members that have been carrying out the various acts of brigandage, assault and harassment are known to Management of Hospitals, as regards their identities, we demand that the full weight of the law is applied and should not be swept under the carpet.

Whereas, without prejudice to rights of individuals or groups to embark on industrial action, we believe the deliberate acts of locking up of hospital equipment, consumables, reagents and facilities such as theatres and labour wards by JOHESU members and disappearing with the keys, as if they were private property, is unethical, condemnable and tantamount to unmitigated impunity and a clear breach of public service rules which require investigation, restoration and appropriate sanctions by the authorities of the affected health facilities.

Whereas, many JOHESU members have been sneaking themselves, their family members and cronies to access healthcare services in the same hospitals in which they are on strike and doctors have been magnanimous in rendering care to all and sundry, JOHESU members are repaying this noble gesture by violently assaulting, harassing and “tear gassing” doctors at their duty posts.

Whereas, doctors have never been against the agitations of any particular health worker as long as the traditions of the medical professions which we swore to protect are guarded and preserved, doctors will never lock up emergency rooms, consulting areas, theatres or any other area of their core operation because as lawful professionals, we recognise our rights and privileges as employees; and cannot be the advocate and judge of our own matter.

Whereas, as leaders of the Health Sector, doctors would strive to do their best in all circumstances to protect the health of Nigerians, the leadership of the NMA in FCT shall continue to put first the welfare and security of our members as priority and reassure our members to continue at their duty posts to render services, remain vigilant, and observe personal security precautions while awaiting the various authorities to do the needful.

COMMENDATION
The Association wishes to commend all heads and management of public health institutions that have kept clinical services running in the Federal Capital Territory, notably Federal Staff Hospital, Jabi, despite the suffocating and needless strike by JOHESU.

We wish to commend all our members in public health institutions who have tenaciously remained at their duty posts, rendering health services and saving lives, despite the excruciating working environment and threats to their security and lives. We also acknowledge the sacrifices made by our members in private health facilities who have accommodated the spill-over of patients and have lowered certain fees for indigent patients in order to access care.

We salute the courage of some health workers who have been helping and providing health services in the health institutions affected by the JOHESU strike. Notably we commend members of the Graduate Nurses Association of Nigeria (GNAN), corpers and interns who have been at their duty posts in the various public health institutions in the FCT.

PRAYERS
1. We call on authorities of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), especially the Department of Health and Human services, Federal Ministry of Health, and Heads and Management Staff of all public health institutions to provide adequate security on a 24/7 basis within their premises to nip these ugly and dastardly incidences and acts by suspected JOHESU members in the bud.

2. Heads and Management Staff of all public health institutions should show leadership, eschew indifference and carry out disciplinary procedures as laid out in the public service rules on erring JOHESU members.

3. We call on the FCT Commissioner of Police, State Director, Department of State Security Services (DSS), FCT, and all other law enforcement authorities to call JOHESU members to order and to act to prevent any untoward outcome on doctors who are working under excruciating conditions and in an atmosphere of danger and fear of the unknown, directly as a result of the acts of these JOHESU members.

4. We insist that investigation should immediately begin with a view to identifying all the culprits and appropriate sanctions meted out to them to serve as a serious deterrent to others that are planning to unleash further terror on doctors.

Finally, we submit that if this emerging phenomenon is not quickly arrested and swiftly addressed at this point, we fear that these acts of lawlessness, brigandage and terror may blossom into full scale insurgency in the health sector and may finally collapse the ailing sector.

Thank you all for coming and for the rapt attention and usual excellent reportage.

Long live Nigerian Medical Association
Long live the Federal Capital Territory
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Signed

Dr Fatima Z. Mairami Dr Chukwudi C. Okebaram
Chairman Secretary

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