The Ekiti State Chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has called on security agencies to save their lives. The NMA is worried by what it called "incessant harassment and attacks on doctors and health workers". Ekiti NMA Chairman, Dr. John Akinbote, who raised the alarm in a chat with reporters on Monday, condemned recent attacks on health professionals in some government-owned hospitals. Some people believed to be hoodlums and drivers' unions members last week beat up a doctor in Efon Alaaye in Efon local government area while a nurse was beaten and a doctor threatened in Aramoko in Ekiti West local government area. Some drivers' union members beat up the doctor at Efon for allegedly failing to attend to their injured colleague who was rushed to the town's General Hospital on time. Akinbote, who described doctors and health workers as “endangered species” warned against further attacks on them in the course of discharging their duties. The NMA boss lamented that health workers were constantly being abused by families of patients and transport unions without provocation. His words: “Some relatives recently beat a nurse in General Hospital, Aramoko, for not sitting with a patient. They also threatened to beat the doctor on duty who started begging them to spare his life. “The doctor is still receiving threat messages for reporting the matter at the appropriate quarters. “Also at General Hospital in Aramoko, members of National Union of Road Transport Workers threatened to beat up a doctor while treating a patient. We are fast becoming an endangered species. “We therefore urgently call on the state government and law enforcement agencies to curtail the attack and harassment of our members.” The NMA called on the government to expedite action on the implementation of the adjusted revised Consolidated Medical Salary Scale Circular issued by the Federal Government since January 1, 2014.
