The Chairman, Nigerian Medical Association, Anambra State chapter, Dr. Jane Ezeonu, has decried the increasing rate of attacks and physical assaults by patients and relatives seeking medical attention in the state.
Ezeonu said medical doctors in the state are facing increasing security threats in the line of discharging their duties, a situation she said is causing brain drain and endangering the lives of the medical personnel across the state.
She spoke to journalists in Awka on Friday, while lamenting that medical doctors were facing incessant assaults ranging from text messages to verbal abuses unleashed on them.
While drawing the attention of the Anambra State Government to their plight, she also disclosed that medical doctors, frequently receive threat messages in the course of discharging their duties, especially on sit-at-home days.
Ezeonu also stated that the association had constantly expressed sadness over medical doctors who have lost their lives while trying to save the lives of others.
According to her, doctors are daily becoming vulnerable because health facilities are open for services at all times.
She disclosed that the association had reported cases of kidnapping and murder of medical doctors in the course of duty, without security agencies taking any positive action.
She revealed that a case in point was the gruesome murder of a doctor (name withheld) in late 2022, while on his way to attend to a medical emergency at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, where he was working.
According to her, the association expressed worry that up till now, the killers of the said colleague had not been identified and apprehended by security agencies.
She said, “It is sad that in addition to the challenge of poor work environment, doctors are subjected to incessant harassments and assaults by patients and their relatives and this trend has been on the increase lately.
“The NMA, however, advocates for improved security measures and safe work environment for doctors and other healthcare workers given the nature of our work to circumvent these security issues and ensure a safe work environment in the health facilities.
“Addressing these myriad of challenges will go a long way in combating the current brain drain in the health sector of Anambra State.
“Another problematic issue is the poor remuneration for doctors and multiple taxation imposed on hospitals operating in the state.
“For example, we have received reports of doctors being harassed for payment for business premises. Hospitals and other healthcare facilities are not business ventures, hence are restrained from elaborate advertisements.
“The association advocates for passage of bill exempting healthcare facilities from business premises taxation as has already been established by a Lagos State High Court.”
She, however, commended the efforts of Governor Chukwuma Soludo in the health sector as evidenced in the recent recruitment of over 300 health workers in the state.
She added that the development would help address the longstanding challenges of understaffing and contribute to improved service delivery especially in primary healthcare facilities.
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