Patients were forced to leave the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yenagoa, in droves on Wednesday after doctors embarked on an indefinite strike following the alleged assault of one of their colleagues by security personnel.
According to sources, the incident occurred after a patient reportedly died while receiving treatment at the hospital. The death allegedly provoked some security personnel, who reportedly assaulted the doctor on duty and took him to an unknown destination.
The incident prompted the Bayelsa State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to direct its members to withdraw their services indefinitely in protest, leaving many patients and their relatives stranded and seeking medical attention at other health facilities.
When our correspondent visited the hospital, there was noticeable tension as patients and their caregivers were seen leaving the premises in search of alternative medical care.
Efforts to obtain the reaction of the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Dr. James Omietimi, were unsuccessful, as calls placed to his mobile phone did not connect at the time of filing this report.
Reacting to the development, the Chairman of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Comrade Bekinwari David-West, condemned the alleged assault on the doctor and called on the relevant authorities to investigate the incident and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
David-West also appealed to the striking doctors to consider the plight of patients and the general public by suspending the industrial action while efforts are made to resolve the dispute through dialogue.
As of the time of filing this report, the management of FMC Yenagoa and the Bayelsa State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association had not issued an official statement on the incident.
Details later
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