The Ekiti State Government has condemned the assault on health workers at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado Ekiti, warning that any further attacks on medical personnel in the state will attract stiff sanctions.
Commissioner for Health, Oyebanji Filani, in a statement on Sunday, said health workers were already working under strenuous conditions to save lives and must not be subjected to violence.
The warning followed an incident on Friday in which some accident victims allegedly turned violent and physically attacked health workers while receiving care at the hospital.
“This unacceptable act of aggression has been promptly reported to the Nigeria Police Force and appropriate investigations and legal actions are already underway. Those found guilty of attacking health workers will face the full weight of the law. Violence is never the answer,” Filani said.
The commissioner stressed that hospitals are centres of healing and compassion, not grounds for violence, adding that any form of harassment or intimidation against doctors, nurses, and other professionals would not be tolerated.
He urged residents to seek redress through lawful and civil channels, assuring that the government, under Governor Biodun Oyebanji, is committed to protecting both patients and health workers by strengthening hospital security measures.
The latest incident comes barely a year after EKSUTH workers, including resident doctors, embarked on strike in January 2024 following an attack by hoodlums after the death of a patient. Six suspects were later charged to court for conspiracy, vandalism, assault, and destruction of hospital property.
