Ogun Deputy Governor, Runsewe-Abiodun Advocate Stronger Protection for Doctors Against Workplace Violence
Ogun State Deputy Governor, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele, has identified strengthened security in healthcare facilities, stronger legal protection for healthcare workers, improved communication, enhanced welfare for medical personnel, and sustained public education and community engagement as key measures to curb violence against doctors and build a safer healthcare system in Nigeria.
The Deputy Governor stated this while declaring open the 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Scientific Conference of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Ogun State Branch, held in Abeokuta. The conference was themed: “Protecting Healthcare Providers: Addressing Violence Against Doctors and Strengthening a Safe Healthcare System.”
Salako-Oyedele said governments, healthcare institutions, professional associations, security agencies, and communities must continue to collaborate to tackle the growing menace, stressing that such partnership was essential to ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals.
She noted that healthcare workers dedicate their lives to preserving lives, restoring health under immense pressure, and protecting others, yet remain vulnerable to various forms of violence and occupational hazards. She added that data from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that about 38 per cent of healthcare workers experience physical violence at some point in their careers.
“Nigeria is not an exception, as violence against healthcare workers is a global challenge. Reports have shown that doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals are verbally abused, physically assaulted, and threatened, often following patients’ deaths, while carrying out their duties,” she said.
The Deputy Governor added that the healthcare sector remains one of the priority areas of the Prince Dapo Abiodun-led administration. According to her, the government has continued to strengthen primary healthcare, expand access to quality health services, improve health infrastructure, recruit healthcare personnel, and increase access to affordable healthcare through the Ogun State Health Insurance Scheme.
“As Chair of the Ogun State Primary Health Care Development Board, I regularly receive reports and feedback from across our health system. It is encouraging to witness the progress being made in expanding access to quality healthcare. However, these reports also underscore the enormous pressures under which our healthcare workers operate,” she said.
She called on policymakers, hospital administrators, security agencies, professional associations, community leaders, and citizens to collectively protect healthcare providers, stressing that the responsibility should not rest solely on government or the medical profession.
Also speaking, the Ogun State Head of Service, Mr. Saka Olanrewaju, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Dr. Qudus Yusuf, said the government would continue to prioritise the welfare of doctors in the state and remain committed to providing efficient, accessible, and affordable healthcare for residents.
Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Tamramat Runsewe-Abiodun, described the conference theme as timely, saying it provides an opportunity to examine the prevalence of physical and psychological violence against healthcare providers. She commended the Ogun State NMA for its zero-tolerance stance on violence and urged relevant stakeholders to address the growing brain drain in the health sector, partly driven by workplace violence.
In her remarks, the Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, commended the Ogun State chapter of the NMA for maintaining professional discipline and fostering a cordial working relationship with the state government, assuring the association of the government’s continued support.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the Chairman of the NMA, Ogun State Branch, Dr. Ogunjimi Luqman, commended the state government for the prompt payment of adjustment allowances. He disclosed that his administration had successfully negotiated and secured the payment of medical residency training funds for 2025, hosted the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting with over 300 participants, and recorded other notable achievements.
