Nurses protest alleged assault at Ogun hospital

Nurses yesterday left their duty posts at the Ogun State Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta, to protest an alleged assault of a final year student nurse by a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Dr Adekunle Nurudeen.

Defying downpour, the nurses chanted various solidarity songs and carried placards with different inscriptions to express their anger.

Some of the inscriptions read “End bullying of nurses, End nurses’ brutality, bullying of nurses is not acceptable”, “Zero tolerance for nurses bullying”, “Respect for nurses, Respect for care”, “Justice for nurses, a must,” among others.

They alleged that on September 24, Nurudeen, a staff with the hospital, reportedly slapped the student nurse at the theatre, and despite attempts to seek reparation from the government, no positive outcome was obtained.

The protesting nurses led by the state chairman of National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Adejoke Bello, explained that the assault was against the public service rules and demanded that the culprit must be brought to justice according to those rules.

She said, “The peaceful demonstration is to register our dissatisfaction and displeasure over an unethical practice of a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon with Ogun State Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta, Nurudeen Adekunle who slapped a final year student nurse precisely on September 24. 

“This is assault and it is against the public service rules, this should not have happened under whatever circumstances. It is a gross misconduct for you to have slapped your subordinate at work. So, we are here to say that the entire nurses in Ogun State won’t tolerate this. 

“This ordinarily should not have degenerated to this level of protest but we have written to the appropriate quarters since last Monday and gave them 48 hours to address this unfortunate incident but we have heard nothing from them, especially the management of this Hospital, they have not called us, so we are left with no choice than to mobilise for this peaceful protest. 

“We have told our nurses to go back to work but we have given the management of the hospital four hours to get back to us in black and white just as we have equally done to register our dissatisfaction over the poor treatment.”

Comrade Lola Falujo, the unit chairman of NANNM, State Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta, expressed her displeasure, stressing that all sorts of nurse bullying and threats must end.

Addressing the protesters, Permanent Secretary, Hospital Management Board, Dr Olayinka Elemide, said the government was aware of the situation and already taking steps to address the incident.

Elemide said, “The government is aware of this situation and already making steps to ensure that due process is followed. The doctor and the student nurse are both in the care of the government, so we are on top of the situation.”