Assault: Doctors call off strike at teaching hospital after apology, management intervention

Doctors at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), Akwa Ibom State, have called off their strike over the alleged assault of a doctor at the facility.

The Chairperson of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Akwa Ibom State, Tiemah Akpabio, confirmed the development to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday night.

Ms Akpabio said the decision followed a meeting of the state executive council of the association on Friday, after the family of the woman accused of assaulting a doctor tendered an apology and the hospital management intervened in the dispute.

She said the strike would officially end at 8 a.m. on Saturday, 5 September.

“The family has made an apology. The management has also said they will look into matters of assault. A committee will be set up to forward ways to protect the workers in the hospital.

“Based on that, they have called off the strike,” she told PREMIUM TIMES.

The NMA chairperson said an official statement on the decision would be issued shortly.

Apology tendered

In a letter dated 2 September and addressed to the President of the Association of Resident Doctors, UUTH, Susana Adie apologised for her conduct during a visit to the hospital’s diabetic unit on 1 September.

Ms Adie said she regretted her conduct and acknowledged assaulting a doctor, Edidiong Ubia, while attempting to obtain clarification about her medical prescription.

She also retracted the unpleasant words she spoke during the incident and apologised to the doctor, the resident doctors’ association and the hospital community.

“I sincerely regret my actions and any unpleasantness that may have arisen from the incident,” she said in the letter.

She appealed to the resident doctors to accept the apology and prevent the incident from creating “continued tension and resentment” between her and the medical profession.

The apology came after the Association of Resident Doctors declared an indefinite strike on Wednesday over the alleged assault.

Another strike over safety concerns

The industrial action was the latest disruption at UUTH concerning health worker safety.

PREMIUM TIMES reported on Thursday that the resident doctors had commenced the strike after an elderly woman allegedly assaulted a house officer at the hospital.

The NMA had demanded that the hospital management and security agencies identify and bring those responsible to justice within 48 hours, while also calling for stronger security measures at health facilities.

The latest incident occurred barely four months after another crisis at the same hospital triggered industrial action by doctors.

In May, PREMIUM TIMES reported that doctors in Akwa Ibom embarked on an indefinite strike following a controversial operation by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives at UUTH.

The operation, which centred on the arrest of a senior hospital official, caused panic at the facility and disrupted clinical services.

The EFCC later apologised to the affected doctor and members of the medical profession, leading the NMA to suspend its strike.

The recurrence of industrial action over alleged assaults and safety concerns has heightened questions about the protection of healthcare workers at the federal tertiary hospital.

The federal government subsequently ordered measures to strengthen the protection of health workers nationwide following the May incident.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that a committee set up by the government found the UUTH incident was not isolated, identifying 18 cases of assault, intimidation or harassment across federal tertiary health institutions in the preceding 12 months.

With Friday’s decision, normal medical services at UUTH are expected to resume from 8 a.m. on Saturday.