The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has warned Nigerians against harassing, intimidating or assaulting healthcare workers over deaths recorded in hospitals, saying medical personnel should not be blamed for every unsuccessful treatment.
The NMA President, Prof. Afekhide-Ernest Omoti, gave the warning in an interview with newsmen in Abuja, stressing that grief over the death of a relative did not justify attacks on doctors, nurses or other healthcare professionals.
Omoti said the National Policy Against Intimidation and Harassment of Healthcare Workers had now provided a framework for addressing such incidents, including improved security in hospitals and prosecution of offenders.
“I had the privilege of representing doctors in a committee set up by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to address the issue. We completed our work and submitted the report.
“A policy has now been introduced to tackle the problem. It is known as the National Policy Against Intimidation and Harassment of Healthcare Workers,” he said.
The NMA president said the policy required hospitals to provide adequate security and ensure that perpetrators were prosecuted and made to compensate affected healthcare workers.
“The hospitals are to ensure that whoever does such act is adequately prosecuted, and the person or group of people pay adequate compensation to the healthcare workers,” he said.
The warning comes amid renewed concern over attacks on health workers. A Federal Government review found 18 cases of assault, intimidation or harassment across federal tertiary health institutions within the preceding year.
The incidents involved patients, relatives, members of the public and security personnel, and reportedly resulted in physical injuries, psychological harm, damage to hospital property and disruption of healthcare services.
The review followed an incident at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital in Akwa Ibom involving Economic and Financial Crimes Commission operatives and hospital workers. The confrontation disrupted clinical services and led to industrial action, prompting the Federal Government to establish a ministerial committee.
Separately, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors reported that at least 21 assault cases involving healthcare workers were recorded nationwide within one year, affecting about 30 resident doctors. It said fewer than five of the cases had been taken to court, while only one conviction had been recorded at the time.
Omoti said attacks were often driven by grief, poor communication and misconceptions about medical treatment, particularly when critically ill patients died despite efforts by healthcare workers.
“You can’t expect that everybody who comes to the hospital, no matter how bad it is, must survive.
“So the fact that you are grieving doesn’t mean you take your anger on the doctor or the healthcare professional,” he said.
He said some healthcare workers had been assaulted outside hospital premises, while others had their vehicles and property vandalised by aggrieved patients’ relatives.
According to him, many patients arrive at hospitals in critical conditions, and the inability to resuscitate some of them is a reality faced by healthcare systems worldwide.
The NMA president said stronger security measures were necessary, including wider deployment of Closed-Circuit Television cameras, particularly in emergency units, to deter attacks and provide evidence when incidents occurred.
He also called for greater public education on hospital procedures and the realities of medical practice, saying better understanding between healthcare workers, patients and their relatives would help reduce confrontations.
Omoti urged Nigerians to pursue complaints through appropriate channels rather than resorting to violence, stressing that protecting healthcare workers was essential to maintaining safe and effective medical services.
