By: Lauretta Fagbohun
Abeokuta
Medical laboratory scientists and other healthcare workers at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta, Ogun State, have commenced a 72-hour warning strike following the alleged stabbing of a medical laboratory scientist by a patient’s relative within the hospital premises.
The industrial action, which began at 11 a.m. on Monday, October 12, is scheduled to end at 8 a.m. on Thursday, October 15, according to a strike notice issued by the hospital’s Joint Action Committee (JAC).
In a letter dated October 12 and addressed to the Medical Director, the committee identified the injured worker as Mr Lawal Toheeb Olasunkanmi, a medical laboratory scientist.
The unions said the strike was intended to demonstrate solidarity with their injured colleague and compel the hospital management to address concerns about the safety of healthcare workers and strengthen security across the facility.
Describing the incident as an attack on healthcare personnel, the committee condemned the alleged assault, saying it undermined the safety, dignity and welfare of professionals dedicated to providing medical services.
Recounting the circumstances surrounding the incident, a medical laboratory scientist at the hospital, Comrade Oladejo Abdullahi Abiodun, said he received a distress call from a colleague at about 6:30 p.m. on Sunday.
According to Abiodun, the caller informed him that a scientist on duty had been stabbed in the head and was bleeding. He said he immediately rushed to the hospital, where he confirmed that his colleague had sustained stab injuries.
Abiodun added that photographs and video recordings of the incident were available.
Although the circumstances surrounding the alleged attack remained unclear, the Joint Action Committee said the incident required an urgent response from the hospital management and appropriate action by law enforcement authorities.
The committee stressed that the matter extended beyond the injured worker, describing it as a broader concern affecting the safety and welfare of the entire workforce.
Among its demands, the unions called for the establishment of a clearly defined policy prohibiting violence, threats, intimidation, harassment and physical assaults against hospital personnel.
They also urged the management to introduce clear procedures for reporting incidents and strengthen collaboration with security agencies and law enforcement authorities to prevent a recurrence.
The committee further requested an urgent meeting with the hospital management to identify existing security gaps and agree on concrete measures to protect workers, with specific timelines for implementation.
It maintained that the management must demonstrate its commitment to staff safety through immediate and measurable action.
“Acts of violence against healthcare personnel must not be allowed to become normalised or repeated in our institution,” the committee stated.
The unions added that the warning strike was a demonstration of their refusal to accept working conditions in which healthcare professionals were exposed to preventable violence without adequate protection or an appropriate institutional response.
The Joint Action Committee comprises representatives of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), the Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research and Allied Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI), the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU).
As of the time of filing this report, the hospital management had yet to make its position on the strike and the unions’ demands known.
It was also unclear whether the alleged assailant had been arrested or whether the police had commenced an investigation into the incident.
