Resident doctors at Osun State University Teaching Hospital have embarked on 72 hours strike over lack of adequate security in the hospital complex.
The resident doctors in a statement issued after an emergency meeting on Friday and ointly signed by the president rand secretary of the association, Dr S. O. Ilori and Dr F. O. Olaomi, said the association decided to withdraw its service over incessant attack on staff of the hospital.
The statement reads: “The rate and impact of unprovoked attacks on our members are alarming, depressive and dangerous. In the last 2 months there have been repeated records of at least four dreadful attacks on our members. Certain individuals with intentions to cause physical harm and kill, unleashed unprovoked attacks on hospital staffs, were unchecked for more than 40 minutes on Thursday, 28th July, 2022.”
“Cause of the attack is the death of a patient that suffered severe head injury and was managed at the Accident and Emergency Unit of our Hospital. As soon as the index patient was brought to the hospital in an unconscious state, aggressive resuscitating measures were commenced which included fluid resuscitation, oxygen therapy and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. However, the patient suffered cardiac arrest and died despite all measures.
“The A&E team and the medical doctors informed the patient relatives who in turn unleashed insults, brought out dangerous objects to harm our members. This caused commotion, members fled for their lives, some locked themselves at the toilets and various rooms while many were injured.”
The doctors demanded for Armored Personnel Carrier, presence of trained security officers, a Security Post at both entrances of the hospital, immediate organisation of security structure in the hospital to forestall recurrence.
“In view of the depressing lack of security in the hospital, members of our Association have been asked to withdraw all forms of Emergency and clinical services in the Hospital except for patients already on admission for the next 72 hours when there shall be another EGM of our Association to re-appraise the security structure in the hospital”, the statement added.