By Chimezie Godfrey
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has condemned attacks on medical facilities, looting of medical consumables and attacks on members by hoodlums.
The NMA President, Prof. Innocent Ujah made this known in a statement made available to Newsdiaryonline on Monday.
He said,”Over the last one week the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has been painfully disturbed by the violent turn of events as hoodlums seeking COVID-19 palliatives attacked health facilities ranging from burning of hospitals and clinics to looting and vandalization of medical and hospital supplies, consumables and vaccines.
“The NMA as the umbrella body of Nigerian Doctors and leader of the health Team condemns in an unequivocal terms this barbaric, primitive and wanton destruction of hospital facilities that is capable of endangering the health of Nigerians and have irredeemable negative impact on the health system,”he stated.
Prof. Ujah noted that of the one of the immediate effects of this unbecoming behaviour of the hoodlums is the danger the public is exposed to.
Accord6 to him, this may have long life effects not only on human beings but also on the environment.
“The unfortunate action of the hoodlums will further weaken the delivery of health services as Nigeria continues to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in an already near comatose health system and will certainly be a setback on our country’s desire to achieve the Universal Health coverage (UHC) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“The NMA therefore calls on those who are in custody of these medicaments and hospital equipment to return them either to be used or destroyed professionally because some of these medicaments can be very harmful to the human body.
“The vaccines that were carted away are meant to prevent diseases but the action of the hoodlums may lead to resurgence of vaccine-preventable childhood diseases.
“We therefore, urge all those in custody of these vaccines to return them to the health facilities for revalidation for possible use. No form of attacks on any health facility and hospital personnel is tolerated in any civilized country,” he lamented.
According to him, the association was embarrassed and disappointed that health workers, facilities and equipment were not secured nor protected by security agencies to forestall the monumental nationwide looting and vandalisation of government and private properties.
The NMA President expressed shocked over the magnitude of the reported looting and vandalisation of health facilities, hospital equipment, vaccines, drugs and consumables.
He also condemned assaults on medical personnel, who were in the line of duty in Lagos, Ebonyi, Delta, Edo, Cross River, Kaduna, Nasarawa and Ekiti States.
“The Nigerian Medical Association condemns these acts of hooliganism by some criminals who turned the very peaceful #ENDSARS protests into violence of unimaginable proportion.
“We are concerned about the risks health workers and health facilities are exposed and call on all Security Agencies to refocus their security apparatus on Hospitals, clinics and Medical Stores all over the country, if we desire to give quality health to our people,” he stated.
Prof. Ujah appealed to all protesters and hoodlums to stop further wanton destruction of hospital facilities, while he called on security agencies to sustain their efforts in protecting lives and properties in Nigeria
