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 members of 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 notice issued on Monday, the committee condemned the attack and demanded measures to ensure the safety of healthcare workers within the facility.
“On behalf of the leadership and entire members of our union, we write to express our profound displeasure, outrage, and deep concern over the unfortunate and unacceptable incident in which one of our colleagues (mr Lawal Toheeb Olasunkanmi), a Medical Laboratory Scientist, was stabbed by a patient’s relative last night within our Centre,” the notice read.
The committee described the incident as an assault on the dignity, safety and welfare of healthcare professionals, insisting that violence against workers providing essential medical services should not be tolerated.
It said hospitals should be safe environments for both patients and healthcare workers, adding that disagreements over medical services could not justify physical attacks.
“No healthcare worker deserves to be threatened, assaulted, or stabbed in the course of providing care. Disagreement, frustration, or dissatisfaction with any service rendered in the hospital cannot justify violence under any circumstance,” the union said.
The committee further described the attack as a collective concern for the hospital’s workforce, warning that workers could not remain silent while their safety was threatened.
It called on 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.
The unions also warned against attempts to conceal or downplay the incident or resolve it in a manner that would undermine accountability.
They demanded 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 called on the Nigeria Police Force to immediately arrest and prosecute the suspect allegedly involved in the attack.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by Ado Bako, Assistant Director of Information and Public Relations, Salako described the incident as “barbaric and unacceptable”.
“No grief, frustration or dissatisfaction with care can justify violence against a health worker performing his lawful duties,” the minister said.
Salako also urged the striking healthcare workers to return to their duties in the interest of patients and the wider public.
He called on the hospital management to ensure that the injured worker received appropriate medical attention 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 appropriate formal procedures.
