30 doctors assaulted in one year, NARD warns

No fewer than 30 resident doctors were assaulted across Nigeria within the last year, highlighting the growing dangers faced by healthcare workers in the course of their duties. Data provided to The PUNCH by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors showed that at least 21 cases of assaults on healthcare workers were reported nationwide during the period, with about 30 resident doctors directly affected. The statistics further revealed that fewer than five of the reported cases were charged in court, while only one assailant has been convicted to date. The figures suggest that, on average, a healthcare worker is assaulted every two weeks in Nigeria. It stated, “Available statistics before the association reveal that within the last year alone, no fewer than 21 cases of assaults on healthcare workers were reported across the country, with about 30 resident doctors directly affected. “Shockingly, fewer than five cases were charged to court, while only one assailant has been convicted to date. “What this simply means is that in Nigeria today, approximately every two weeks, another case of assault against a healthcare worker is recorded.” According to the data, hospitals, which should serve as safe havens for healing and lifesaving interventions, have increasingly become unsafe environments where doctors and other health workers are exposed to threats, physical violence, emotional trauma, intimidation, harassment and even kidnapping. The association noted that the trend posed a serious threat not only to healthcare workers but also to the country’s healthcare delivery system and national health security. • FG urges Nigerians to embrace voluntary blood donation • Niger shuts 15 health centres, arrests fake doctor • Nigeria’s medical tourism challenge is trust, not competence — Experts It described the attacks as unacceptable and warned that the continued insecurity in hospitals could further worsen the brain drain crisis in the health sector by discouraging healthcare professionals from remaining in the country. It added that beyond the physical and emotional toll on victims, violence against health workers undermined patient care and weakened public confidence in the healthcare system. The National President of NARD, Dr Muhammed Suleiman, described the development as “intolerable, unacceptable, and dangerous to the survival of Nigeria’s healthcare system,” warning that the situation was creating fear among doctors and worsening workforce shortages as many consider leaving the country. Suleiman said NARD would no longer fold its arms while doctors are treated like criminals in the institutions where they serve humanity. He further stated that recent threats issued against one of its members were being treated with utmost seriousness, insisting that any harm, direct or indirect, inflicted on the doctor must be traced to the identified assailants and all connected parties. Violence against healthcare workers has become an increasing concern in Nigeria, with medical associations repeatedly raising the alarm over incidents involving doctors, nurses and other frontline health personnel. Health workers have reported cases of verbal abuse, physical attacks, threats and intimidation, often arising from disputes with patients’ relatives or frustrations over healthcare outcomes. The concern comes amid an ongoing shortage of healthcare personnel in Nigeria, driven partly by the migration of doctors and other professionals to countries offering better working conditions and remuneration. Stakeholders have warned that ensuring the safety of healthcare workers is critical to retaining skilled manpower and strengthening the country’s healthcare system.