SaharaReporters reported on Wednesday that the majority leader of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Suleiman Abubakar, mobilised hoodlums to assault medical doctors and other health workers at the FTH, Lokoja, over the death of his relative, causing commotion in the health facility.
The management of the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH), Lokoja, Kogi State, has said that the relatives of a deceased patient that attacked health workers of the hospital mobilised their friends on telephone to the hospital premises.
SaharaReporters reported on Wednesday that the majority leader of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Suleiman Abubakar, mobilised hoodlums to assault medical doctors and other health workers at the FTH, Lokoja, over the death of his relative, causing commotion in the health facility.
SaharaReporters had reported that Abubakar, who represents Okene 1 constituency in the Kogi State House of Assembly, allegedly led hoodlums on Tuesday to the facility who broke through the gates of the teaching hospital.
Providing details of the incident in a statement issued on Thursday by the hospital's Head of Public Relations, Abdulrahman Abdullahi, the hospital said that the management had taken necessary and appropriate measures to ensure the safety of patients and staff of the facility henceforth.
On the circumstances that led to the attack, Abdullahi, stated a patient now deceased was referred to the FTH unconscious from Reference Hospital Okene, where he was being managed for Haemorrhagic (CVA) Stroke.
According to him, he could not be admitted on arrival because the 20-bed capacity emergency ward was fully occupied and the accompanying relatives were advised to seek care in an alternative health facility which they declined.
Instead they opted to wait for a bed space. Eventually he was admitted by Emergency staff within thirty minutes immediately a bed space was vacant and his care was continued.
His condition unfortunately deteriorated and every attempt to resuscitate him failed and was certified dead.
The management, however, maintained the commitment of the hospital to sustaining their goal of delivering effective and efficient health care service to the society while ensuring the safety and security of staff and patients under their care.
The statement partly read: “The Management of Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH), Lokoja, wishes to inform the Public that it has taken necessary and appropriate measures to ensure the safety of patients and staff of the facility following the unfortunate incidence of the past 24 hours during which some members of staff and security personnel on duty were assaulted by infuriated relatives of a now deceased patient.
“The patient was referred unconscious from Reference Hospital Okene, a sister hospital where he was being managed for Haemorrhagic (CVA) Stroke.
“He could not be admitted immediately on arrival because the 20 bed capacity emergency ward was fully occupied and the accompanying relatives were advised to seek care in an alternative health facility but they declined and opted to wait for a bed space.
“The emergency ward staff eventually admitted the patient within thirty minutes. Immediately a bed space was vacant and his care was continued, but his condition deteriorated thereafter and following failed attempts at resuscitation, was certified dead."
Hospital's spokesman, however, regretted that the aggrieved relatives, who claimed negligence as the cause of the death of their reflective began assaulting the emergency ward staff including "Doctors, Nurses, Health Attendants and Security Personnel that were on duty at their posts.
"As a result, many of them fled to safety. The incidence subsequently spread to involve security personnel at the hospital gate by the attacking relatives and their friends who were mobilised into the hospital premises via phone calls by the attackers. The hospital management committee mobilised additional security reinforcements, leading to restoration of order.
“The Hospital Management while empathising with the family of the deceased, condemn emphatically, the unfortunate incidence by the relatives who assaulted members of staff and security personnel present.
“The Hospital Management is currently reviewing the incidence in collaboration with the relevant security agencies and assures the public that the hospital remains committed to sustaining our goal to deliver effective and efficient health care service to the society while ensuring the safety and security of staff and patients under our care,” the statement noted.