FMC Abeokuta warns public against assault and battery on medical personnel

*The Management of Federal Medical Centre Abeokuta, in Ogun State of Nigeria, have warned clients against unprovoked aggression and attacks on staff of the institution, stating henceforth, the law will take its full course on any offenders

Emmanuel Akosile | ConsumerConnect

In view of the increasing rising incidence of clients’ unprovoked aggression and attack on staff of the health institution, the Management of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Idi-aba, Abeokuta, in Ogun State, have warned such unfortunate acts will no longer be tolerated.

Prof. Adewale Musa-Olomu, Medical Director of FMC Abeokuta, issued the warning while reacting to the latest physical attack on a medical staff of the Centre by parents of a toddler.

Recalling an incident at the hospital, the Management in a statement said: “A 15 months’ old toddler was rushed to the Children Emergency Room (CHER) by her parents on Friday, 12th March, 2021, at about 8.00 p.m.

Musa-Olomu stated that on complaints by the parents that they were financially challenged, the Management of the health institution waived all the laboratory investigation bills as well as emergency medications.

He noted in the statement: “However, at about midnight the baby passed on barely four hours after arriving at the Centre.

“On hearing about the death of his daughter, her father threw caution to the wind and beat to a pulp the Medical staff who attended to her daughter, citing delay in treatment. “The enraged man hit the doctor on the head several times with a chair before help could come his way.”

It was learnt Prof. Musa-Olomu sympathised with the bereaved family, while attributing the unfortunate of the loss of the toddler to late presentation for proper treatment.

He stated: “Something should have told the parents that keeping a baby that was losing weight with a sustained high temperature at home for a whole month was a dangerous thing to do by any parent.

“No doubt, we tried our best to save the toddler’s life although the situation would have been a different one if she had presented early.”

The Medical Director of FMC Abeokuta, who revealed that the latest attack and assault would be the fourth on his staff of late, warned that henceforth, the law would be allowed to take its full course on anyone caught assaulting or assaulting any of his staff.