FEATURES
FG Orders Police to Arrest Suspect in Ogun FMC Attack
The Federal Government has urged the Nigeria Police Force to immediately arrest and prosecute the suspect who allegedly stabbed a health worker at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, made the call in a statement issued on Monday night by Ado Bako, Assistant Director of Information and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
Salako condemned the reported attack on Mr Lawal Olasunkanmi, a medical laboratory scientist at the hospital, describing it as “barbaric and unacceptable”.
“No grief, frustration or dissatisfaction with care can justify violence against a health worker performing his lawful duties,” the minister said.
He assured that the ministry would closely monitor the case to ensure that the alleged assailant was brought to justice.
According to him, the incident underscores the urgent need to implement measures introduced by the ministry on August 5 to strengthen the protection of health workers in federal tertiary health institutions.
The measures, he said, include improved security arrangements, violence-prevention teams, incident-reporting mechanisms, collaboration with law-enforcement agencies and enhanced complaint-handling procedures.
“These safeguards must translate into effective protection for health personnel across health facilities,” he said.
The minister also appealed to health workers who had embarked on industrial action at FMC Abeokuta to immediately resume work in the interest of patients and the general public.
He urged the workers to allow security agencies to conduct their investigation and discharge their responsibilities.
Salako further directed the hospital management to ensure that the injured staff member received appropriate medical care and support, while strengthening security measures in line with Federal Government directives.
He also extended the government’s condolences to the family of the deceased patient, noting that the loss of a loved one deserved compassion and appropriate attention.
The minister urged patients and relatives dissatisfied with services at the hospital to use the facility’s formal complaints mechanism, stressing that grievances could be fairly investigated and addressed without resorting to violence.
He reiterated that the protection of health workers remained essential to safe and uninterrupted healthcare delivery, adding that hospitals must provide secure environments where medical personnel could perform their duties without fear and patients could access treatment with confidence.
NAN