There was tension at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Ondo State, on Monday following the alleged assault of a medical doctor by relatives of a surgical patient within the hospital premises.
The doctor, identified as Dr. Adeniyi A., a registrar in the Department of Internal Medicine, was reportedly attacked while on duty at the Accident and Emergency Unit of the hospital.
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) said the assailants were relations of a patient receiving surgical treatment at the facility.
In a statement jointly signed by its President, Dr. Mohammad Usman Suleiman; Secretary-General, Dr. Shuaibu Ibrahim; and Publicity and Social Secretary, Dr. Abdulmajid Yahya Ibrahim, the association condemned the incident, describing it as unacceptable.
NARD said the assault highlighted the increasing cases of violence against healthcare workers, warning that hospitals were gradually becoming unsafe environments for medical professionals.
The association expressed concern that the attack occurred within a health facility, stressing that doctors should be allowed to carry out their duties without fear of physical harm.
While commending the swift intervention of the Association of Resident Doctors at FMC Owo, NARD called on the hospital management to urgently strengthen security measures to prevent a recurrence.
It also demanded the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the attack, as well as adequate medical care and compensation for the injured doctor.
The association warned that failure to take decisive action could compel it to explore other measures to safeguard its members, insisting that hospitals must remain centres for healing and not violence.