Lagos doctors to begin sit-at-home protest over police harassment

 

The Lagos State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA has directed doctors in Lagos to proceed on an indefinite sit-at-home order to protest what they described as ‘conflicting directives by the government and incessant police harassment’ on medical doctors and other health workers in the state.

In a press statement made available to Vanguard, and jointly signed by the State Chairman of the NMA, Dr Saliu Oseni and the Secretary, Dr Ramon Moronkola, the sit-at-home order is expected to begin today, (Wednesday), 20th May 2020 from 6 PM.

The medical doctors maintained that it was no longer safe for their members to continue to provide healthcare services under the present confused arrangement.

They said the development became necessary as a result of the numerous complaints of police harassment from their members who were either going home after close of work, and some on transit to heed to emergency calls at the various hospitals.

They lamented that, whereas the directives of President Muhammadu Buhari, through the Presidential Taskforce on COVID 19, was clear on the exemption of essential workers including doctors and other health workers, the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Mr. Hakeem Odumosu, has been issuing conflicting directives that essential workers, including doctors and other health workers, were not exempted.

“As a direct result of the conflicting directives of the government and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, the NMA was inundated yesterday (Tuesday, 19th of May, 2020) evening of several cases of harassments and intimidation of doctors and other health-workers by officers and men of the Lagos State Police command.

The healthcare workers were either resuming duty, returning home, or on-transit to heed an emergency call.