Braving the early morning downpour, nurses from the Ogun State Hospital in Ijaye, Abeokuta, alongside their colleagues from across the state, staged a protest on Thursday to decry the alleged assault of a final-year nursing student by a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Dr. Nurudeen Adekunle.
The protest, led by the state Chairman of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Adejoke Bello, was sparked by the September 24 incident in which Dr. Adekunle reportedly slapped the unnamed student nurse in the operating theater.
The protesting nurses, carrying placards with messages such as “End Bullying of Nurses,” “Bullying of Nurses is Not Acceptable,” and “Justice for Nurses is a Must,” chanted songs to express their grievances over the alleged misconduct.
Speaking during the peaceful demonstration, Bello condemned the act, describing it as a violation of public service rules. “The peaceful demonstration is to register our dissatisfaction and displeasure over the unethical practice of a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon with Ogun State Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta, Nurudeen Adekunle, who slapped a final-year student nurse on September 24,” she stated.
She continued, “This is assault and it is against the public rule service. It is gross misconduct to slap a subordinate at work. The entire nurses in Ogun State won’t tolerate this.”
Bello revealed that the nurses had written to the relevant authorities demanding action within 48 hours of the incident but received no response. “This should not have escalated to this level of protest, but since last Monday, after giving them 48 hours to address this unfortunate incident, we’ve heard nothing, especially from the management of this hospital. They have not called us, so we were left with no choice but to mobilize for this peaceful protest,” Bello added.
The nurses called for Dr. Adekunle to be held accountable in line with public service regulations, declaring, “We are saying no to harassment and assault of nurses.”
Comrade Lola Idowu Falujo, Unit Chairman of NANNM at the State Hospital, Ijaye, also condemned Dr. Adekunle’s actions. She criticized his threats against the student nurse, stating, “We condemn the action of Dr. Adekunle who assaulted one of our student nurses and threatened that if the incident were reported, he would ensure the student did not graduate.”
Falujo emphasized that bullying of nurses must stop and urged the government to enforce the public service rules to ensure justice is served. “We are out to end bullying of nurses. We don’t deserve any form of maltreatment, and we are doing our best to care for patients and advance the healthcare system,” she remarked.
Addressing the nurses, Dr. Olayinka Elemide, the Permanent Secretary of the Hospital Management Board, assured them that the government was aware of the incident and working to resolve the matter.
“The government is aware of this situation and is already taking steps to ensure that due process is followed. Both the doctor and the student nurse are in the care of the government, so we are on top of the situation,” she assured the protesters.
Following the protest, the nurses were instructed to return to work as a four-hour ultimatum was issued to the hospital management to officially respond to their demands.
