Healthcare workers at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta, Ogun State, have begun a three-day warning strike following the alleged stabbing of a medical laboratory scientist, Lawal Toheeb Olasunkanmi, by a patient’s relative.
Olasunkanmi was reportedly attacked on Sunday night while on duty at the hospital.
A video shared on X showed the medical laboratory scientist bleeding from his nose as the alleged assailant threatened him.
The incident prompted the hospital’s Joint Action Committee, comprising nurses, medical laboratory scientists and other non-academic staff, to commence the industrial action on Monday.
In a statement issued on Monday, the committee condemned the attack and called on the hospital management to take urgent steps to protect healthcare workers within the facility.
The committee described the incident as an assault on the safety, dignity and welfare of healthcare professionals, insisting that violence against workers providing essential medical services was unacceptable.
It said hospitals must remain safe environments for both patients and healthcare workers, stressing that disagreements or dissatisfaction with medical services could not justify physical attacks.
The committee urged the hospital management to formally report the incident to the appropriate law enforcement authorities and ensure that the alleged assailant was investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
It also warned against any attempt to conceal or downplay the incident, insisting that accountability must be upheld.
Among its demands, the committee called for prompt and comprehensive medical treatment for Olasunkanmi, psychological support where necessary, and institutional assistance throughout his recovery.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, has urged the Nigeria Police Force to immediately arrest and prosecute the suspect allegedly involved in the attack.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Assistant Director of Information and Public Relations, Ado Bako, Salako described the incident as “barbaric and unacceptable”.
The minister said no grief, frustration or dissatisfaction with medical care could justify violence against a health worker performing his lawful duties.
He also appealed to the striking workers to return to their duties in the interest of patients and the general public.
Salako urged the hospital management to ensure that the injured medical scientist received appropriate treatment and support, while strengthening security arrangements in line with Federal Government directives.
The minister also extended his condolences to the family of the deceased patient and advised members of the public to channel complaints about hospital services through established formal procedures.
