The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital Chapter has ordered its members to stay away from work over persistent assault on members.
This is contained in a statement jointly signed by its President, Dr Abraham Akinbola and General Secretary, Dr Sope Orugun.
The ARD in the statement made available to journalists on Sunday, said the action was imperative to protect lives and property.
It said that their members would return to work when it was evidently clear that the hospital and LAUTECH management has provided adequate security within and outside the hospital.
The Pacesetter News reported how violent protests erupted on Thursday, April 22, at the hospital over the death of a student, whom according to the doctors report, was brought into the hospital unresponsive.
“The congress of the association has hereby directed our members to stay away from the hospital environment until adequate security is provided by the hospital and LAUTECH management,” it said
The ARD said that no fewer than five different incursions have been made into LTH Ogbomoso by the aggrieved students leaving destructions in their wake.
“Several attempts were made to get their hands on at least a doctor to punish and be made as a scapegoat.
“This is one time too many in a long list of recurrent assaults on doctors and other health workers in the hospital by the students.
“It therefore seems our maturity on these issues in the past and present has been taken as an impetus to wreck more havocs in our health institution.
“This security risks to the lives of our members at work has to stop. We are against every form of violence on doctors and other health workers in LTH Ogbomoso alike,” it said.
The association urged relevant authorities to prevail on the students and curtail their desire for wanton destruction of lives and property.
“We state unequivocally that the right thing to do is to order that an autopsy be done on the body of the deceased to ascertain the actual cause of death.
“The students involved in this wanton destruction of properties, assaults to doctors in line of duty and disruption to the health of all patients who have come seeking for health must be brought to book.
“The university must ensure properties destroyed are appropriately restored.
We love what we do and what we do is saving lives.
“We ensure good health through the tripartite stand of service, research and teaching. But these can not be done in a very unsafe environment. A stitch in time saves nine,” the association said.
The ARD commiserated with the entire LAUTECH community on the death of their student, who obviously was a friend to many.
According to it, “the demise of any person is an irreparable loss. We pray for strength for all in these trying period.
“The act of disseminating misinformation is a virtue that should be abhorred by any meaningful society.”
The association explained that the uproar occurred in the triage area of the Emergency Room (ER) when a group of students of LAUTECH brought in the patient’s body.
It said that the information in the public domain are quite different from what transpired in LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso.
“The boy was brought into the ER unresponsive with the content of the sewage tank flowing out through the nostrils and mouth as the students kept pressing his tummy.
“The particular events that led to how he fell into the sewage tank however remain to be substantiated.
“At the ER, the doctor met a lifeless body. And after proper examination, he concluded that the patient was already dead before he was brought to the hospital,” it said.
