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| A resident doctor (right) with Delta NUJ Chairman, Comrade Mike Ikeogwu at the press conference. |
By Patrick
Ochei
Resident
Doctors in Asaba, Delta State have shut down all their services in this period
of Coronavirus pandemic to protest what they called incessant molestation and
harassment by men of the Nigerian Police and to press home their four-point
demands, which they said Government must meet.
Briefing the
Press at the NUJ Press Centre in Asaba, the President of the Association of
Resident Doctors, Federal Medical Centre, FMC Asaba Chapter, Dr. Nwabunor Osifo
said they called on their members to down tools after critically analysing
police brutality against their members, especially in this period of Covid-19.
He said a
member was refused passage at Okpanam while on his way to work, even after
proper identification.
He stressed
that when the information got to them, some of them went to the scene to
resolve the matter but in the process were brutalised and tear gas used on
them, especially the NMA State Chairman.
The group
through its leader demanded that:
1. Police
and other security agencies must allow medical personnel free access to their
places of work without molestations henceforth.
2. That the
items such as phones and other personal belongings, which they destroyed in the
process of brutalising its members should be replaced.
3. That
adequate security should be provided for medical personnel in the State capital
and beyond and their safety guaranteed.
4. They
bemoaned the paucity of protective kits for health workers as they fight
Covid-19, urging the federal and state governments to ensure their protection
and safety, especially at this time. They listed life insurance, increment in
allowances and other incentives to be provided for them as obtainable for
medical personnel in other countries.
Dr. Osifo
maintained however, that even though the hypocritical oath makes it impossible
for doctors to abandon their duties in a period of emergency such as this,
their lives and safety were equally important.
According to
him, "We are not callous, we feel for patients too. But our safety must be
guaranteed first. We are humans too.
"Based
on this brutality of our members on the part of the Police, we are declaring a
total shut down.
"Though
the Commissioner of Police, CP Hafiz Inuwa and the Delta State Governor,
Senator Ifeanyi Okowa have waded in with a view to have the issues resolved, we
will continue this indefinite total shut down of all our services until our demands are met", Dr.
Osifo said.
Meanwhile,
in a telephone conversation, the Commissioner of Police, CP Hafiz Inuwa
confirmed the incident, but insisted he had settled the matter with the
Resident Doctors in a meeting with them and the NMA Chairman and CMD of FMC.
He wondered
while the doctors should go ahead to still insist on shut down of operations
after agreeing to settlement.
CP affirmed
that the two male officers and a female inspector involved in the dispute had
been arrested and detained.
He posited
that while the officers would be queried, the female inspector would be demoted
and tried.
His words,
"I take full responsibility for every action of these policemen and woman.
They are under me even though I cannot move into them to enforce discipline and
professionalism. That's why I have taken liability for everything the Resident
Doctors have demanded they should replace.
"But I
am surprised that even after resolving the matter for hours in my office and in
the presence of the NMA Chairman and CMD of FMC, they still went ahead to brief
the press and insisted on downing tools, even at this critical moment of our
history.
"I will
continue to sue for peace. We need the doctors at this time ofu Covid-19.
Everybody is equally important. There must be synergy as we work to bring this
pandemic under control. As for the Command under my watch, we will continue to
enforce compliance for the stay at home order in such a manner that should not
jeopardize the confidence of the people in the Police Force", CP Hafiz
posited.
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