Nurses Protest Alleged Assault by Consultant Surgeon at Ogun State Hospital
Nurses at Ogun State Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta, joined forces with their colleagues from other parts of the state on Thursday to protest in the rain against the alleged assault of a final-year nursing student by Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Nurudeen Adekunle. The incident reportedly occurred on September 24, when Dr. Adekunle allegedly slapped the student nurse in the theatre. Since then, attempts to seek redress from the government have reportedly resulted in no positive outcomes.
The protest was spearheaded by Adejoke Bello, the state chairman of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM). Armed with placards bearing messages such as “End bullying of nurses,” “Justice for nurses, a must,” and “Respect for care,” the demonstrators vocalized their concerns through chants aimed at highlighting the issue of nurse mistreatment.
Bello addressed the crowd, expressing the nurses’ discontent with the actions of Dr. Adekunle, which she called a serious violation of workplace conduct and public service rules. “This is assault,” she asserted. “No circumstances justify slapping a subordinate at work. Nurses in Ogun State will not tolerate such behavior.” She further revealed that despite reaching out to relevant authorities last week and giving them 48 hours to respond, there had been no communication, prompting the need for the protest.
The nurses demanded that Dr. Adekunle be held accountable in accordance with public service regulations, emphasizing their stance against harassment and abuse within the healthcare environment. Bello stated, “We have instructed our nurses to return to work, but we have set a deadline of four hours for the hospital management to provide us with a written response addressing our concerns.”
Lola Idowu Falujo, the Unit Chairman of NANNM at the state hospital, echoed Bello’s sentiments and criticized Dr. Adekunle’s behavior, pointing out that it fails to meet the standards set by public service guidelines. She shared troubling reports of the doctor allegedly threatening the student, claiming he would ensure the student’s graduation was jeopardized if the incident were publicized.
Falujo explained that letters had been sent to both the hospital management and the government on Friday, yet no response had been received. “If we had been given timely feedback, perhaps this protest could have been avoided,” she remarked. “We will not accept any form of bullying against nurses.”
Addressing the protesting nurses, Dr. Mrs. Olayinka Elemide, the Permanent Secretary of the Hospital Management Board, assured them that the government was aware of the situation and was taking appropriate measures to address the incident. “We are following due process,” she stated, adding that both the doctor and the student nurse remain under the government’s care and that the situation is being actively managed.
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