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.

Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, Mr Ghebreyesus said the backlog of suspected Ebola cases had dropped significantly from more than 1,000 to 116 as laboratory testing capacity improved across affected areas.

The WHO chief gave the update after returning from the outbreak epicentre in Ituri Province, where he met political leaders, frontline health workers and community groups involved in the response.

According to him, WHO’s latest risk assessment remains very high at the national level, high at the regional level and low globally, despite ongoing efforts to contain transmission and strengthen surveillance.

He said confirmed cases had been reported across 24 health zones in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, underscoring the scale of the outbreak and challenges facing response teams.

“Treatment capacity has expanded with three centres and 80 beds now open in Bunia, plus units in Mongbwalu, Rwampara, Beni, Goma and Bukavu,” he said.

“Six people have recovered in DRC and two in Uganda, but contact tracing still lags at 45 per cent against the 90 per cent target needed to control spread.”

Mr Ghebreyesus said the outbreak had crossed international borders, with Uganda recording 15 confirmed cases and one death, including a Congolese resident who travelled through the United Arab Emirates.

He added that a US citizen infected in DRC remained under treatment in Germany, while WHO continued coordinating with Ugandan and UAE authorities on contact tracing and exposure-risk assessments.

The WHO Director-General identified five major challenges slowing response efforts and emphasised the urgent need for stronger surveillance systems, community engagement and improved operational access in affected regions.

“First, testing delays persist, so WHO is decentralising labs to Mongbwalu, Beni, Aru, Nyakunde and Tchomia. Second, only 45 per cent of contacts are being followed in DRC due to insecurity and displacement.

“Third, blanket travel restrictions are disrupting supply chains despite the WHO recommending exit screening instead.

“Fourth, community mistrust remains high, with some leaders still doubting Ebola is real. Building trust is now a core priority and Fifth, there are still no approved vaccines or therapeutics,” he said.

According to him, WHO has convened its Medical Countermeasures Network to accelerate trials and diagnostics, stressing that leadership, community ownership and trust remained essential to ending the outbreak successfully.

“Our ultimate measure of success is not whether we stop this outbreak. We will. DRC has stopped 16 previous Ebola outbreaks,” he said.

“The real measure is what we do to prevent the 18th and 19th, if communities survive Ebola only to die from malaria, malnutrition or other diseases,

“We have not really helped them.

“WHO pledged to stay after the outbreak ends to help build stronger health and humanitarian services under government leadership,’ he said. (NAN)