Healthcare services at Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu, have been disrupted following a directive by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) ordering an immediate withdrawal of services over the assault on a female house officer.
In a strongly worded statement issued yesterday and jointly signed by its President, Mohammad Usman Suleiman, Secretary-General, Shuaibu Ibrahim, and Publicity Secretary, Abdulmajeed Yahya Ibrahim, the association described the attack as “shocking and barbaric,” insisting that decisive action must be taken to ensure justice.
NARD directed all its members in the hospital—including house officers—to down tools indefinitely until credible safety guarantees are provided, stressing its zero-tolerance stance on violence against health workers.
“Failure to meet these demands promptly will compel escalation to a regional and national industrial dispute,” the association warned.
According to the statement, the female doctor was allegedly assaulted by about seven men said to be students of Gateway ICT Polytechnic following the death of a patient at the hospital’s Accident and Emergency unit.
The victim, described as a dedicated young doctor, was reportedly singled out and attacked after being identified as part of the medical team that attended to the deceased patient.
“This is not only unacceptable, it is also intolerable. Hospitals are sanctuaries of healing, not battlegrounds of violence,” NARD stated, lamenting that doctors working under already difficult conditions are now exposed to physical harm.
The association called for the immediate identification, arrest, and prosecution of all those involved, stressing that justice must be both done and seen to be done.
NARD further demanded accountability from the polytechnic, urging its management to collaborate with security agencies to apprehend the suspects and take responsibility for the actions of the alleged students, including covering the victim’s medical expenses and compensation.
It also charged the management of OOUTH to urgently overhaul its security framework to prevent future occurrences.
Reaffirming its solidarity with members at the facility, NARD expressed sympathy for the assaulted doctor and wished her a full recovery.
“The safety of doctors is non-negotiable. An injury to one is an injury to all… Healthcare workers must be protected. Justice must prevail,” the statement added.
