The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has condemned the alleged assault and arrest of a medical doctor and two other health workers following the death of a patient at the Mother and Child Hospital, Mowe, an annex of the Neuropsychiatric Hospital (NPH), Aro, Ogun State.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the association described the incident as “barbaric” and accused the police authorities of failing to arrest those responsible for the attack.

According to NARD, the incident occurred after a critically ill patient died while receiving emergency treatment at the hospital.

The association said relatives of the deceased allegedly attacked a doctor and other healthcare workers over claims that the doctor “killed” the patient.

Arrest after attack

NARD said the assaulted doctor, alongside a nurse and an administrative staff member who reportedly tried to rescue the doctor during the attack, were later arrested by the police.

“In an even more disturbing twist, the police reportedly arrested the assaulted doctor, alongside a nurse and an administrative staff member who had merely attempted to rescue the doctor from the violent attack, while the actual assailants walked free,” the statement said.

The association noted that although the doctor had been granted bail, “the matter remains unresolved, and justice is yet to be served.”

Demands

The association demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of all individuals allegedly involved in the assault.

It also called for “adequate compensation” for the doctor, nurse and administrative staff member affected by the incident, citing “physical assault, emotional trauma, and defamation suffered.”

It further requested the “immediate deployment and strengthening of security architecture within health facilities to protect healthcare workers and patients alike.”

The association also asked for assurances from security agencies and government authorities that healthcare workers “will no longer be subjected to such degrading treatment.”

A growing pattern

NARD said attacks on healthcare workers had become frequent across the country and called for urgent intervention by authorities.

“This continuous trend of harassment, bullying, intimidation, and physical assault on health workers across Nigeria has become unacceptable, intolerable, and must be decisively addressed by relevant authorities,” the statement added.

The incident is one of several reported attacks on healthcare workers across Nigeria.

In February, the association raised concerns over the assault of a resident doctor at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owo, Ondo State, allegedly by relatives of a patient at the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Unit.

In June, another doctor was allegedly assaulted by a patient’s relative while on duty. The incident later triggered a 72-hour warning strike by the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) FMC Owo Chapter, which disrupted services at both the FMC and its Akure Annex.

Also in March, the South-east chapter of resident doctors threatened a regional strike after a doctor at the National Eye Centre, Kaduna, was allegedly assaulted by security personnel attached to a senior government official during an official visit to the facility.

In May, NARD condemned the assault of a doctor at the Delta State University Teaching Hospital (DELSUTH), Oghara, during a protest by members of the host community.

The association described the incident as a threat to the safety of healthcare professionals and warned that repeated attacks on health workers could trigger wider industrial action.

In another case reported in May, NARD condemned the alleged assault of doctors and other health workers at the Emergency Department of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, following the death of a patient.

The association backed a 48-hour warning strike declared by doctors at the Central Hospital, Warri, Delta State, following the alleged assault of health workers by relatives of a deceased patient at the hospital’s emergency unit.

Meanwhile, in 2024, NARD had called on the National Assembly to enact laws criminalising assaults on health workers following a series of attacks in hospitals.

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It cited incidents involving doctors and nurses at the Araf Specialist Hospital, Lafia, Nasarawa State; Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital; UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital, Osogbo; and the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH), Lokoja.

Support for doctors

NARD said it stands with the ARD NPH Aro, regarding actions taken in response to the incident.

It also commended the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Ogun State branch, for its intervention and support.

“Healthcare workers are not punching bags. An injury to one is an injury to all,” the statement said.

Nigeria has received multiple funding offers from investors and institutional lenders, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, has said.

Speaking in an interview with Bloomberg TV, Mr Oyedele said the current market environment presents an opportunity for the country to refinance some of its existing debt while mobilising additional resources for development.

“We think that the timing is good for us to be able to maybe even refinance some of our expensive past debts, but also to raise more funding for our development at this critical time,” he said.

Responding to questions on whether Nigeria would pursue a Eurobond issuance or other commercial financing options, the minister said any decision would depend on prevailing market conditions, the amount of funding required and the speed at which the government intends to access the funds.

He noted that the country currently has several financing options available.

“We have a lot of offers, there is a lot of interest in Nigeria by investors, which is good for us,” Mr Oyedele said.

He added that Nigeria is also engaging with institutional lenders, including the African Finance Corporation (AFC), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and Afreximbank, alongside financing arrangements involving other countries.

“We have many options,” he noted.

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Mr Oyedele explained that the government would carefully evaluate the cost, risks and suitability of available funding sources before deciding on the most appropriate financing strategy.

According to him, the objective is to ensure efficient use of resources while supporting the country’s development priorities.

“The goal is to get the best results from every dollar or every naira that we spend,” he said.