Resident doctors at the Federal Medical Centre in Owo have stopped work. They're protesting an attack on one of their colleagues by a patient's relative.
The three-day warning strike has also affected the hospital's Akure Annex in the state capital. Medical services have largely ground to a halt as a result.
According to accounts from the facility, a patient's wife allegedly assaulted the doctor on duty over the weekend. She slapped him multiple times and manhandled him, sources said.
Thugs later showed up at the hospital looking for the physician. The incident has left many patients stranded and without care.
Dr Adeola Oluwadamilola, president of the Association of Resident Doctors at FMC Owo, called an emergency meeting on May 30. He and General Secretary Dr Dare Aderemi signed a statement addressing the violence.
"Assault on doctors has become a recurring decimal," the statement read. This marks the second such incident this year, doctors confirmed.
The doctors held an emergency general meeting to discuss the attack. They voted to implement a total strike beginning 8 a.m. on May 31.
Officials made clear what they wanted. They demanded that adequate armed security be stationed at the hospital and its annexes immediately.
The strike will continue until those conditions are met, the association noted. Doctors also want the perpetrators arrested and prosecuted.
Hospital management hasn't issued a public response to the doctors' demands. The security situation at the facility remains a pressing concern for medical staff.
