Doctors in Abuja Alleges Attack By Health workers Over Strike
                                     
                                
  Doctors in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja have alleged ‘violent assault,’ ‘physical harassment,’ and ‘threats to their lives at their duty posts in public health facilities in Abuja.
 Guardian news reports that:
The doctors, who spoke under the umbrella of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), FCT Chapter, alleged that the attacks were carried out by the Joint Health sector Unions (JOHESU) and called on the Police, the Department of State Security Services (DSS) and all relevant authorities to investigate the issue and bring the culprits to book.

The association says it is worried that if not checked, the matter could worsen into what it termed “full scale insurgency in the health sector.” NMA said the affected hospitals had already filed reports with the Police.

When pressed for reaction to the allegations, officials of JOHESU said they would issue a comprehensive response after a meeting of the executive committee of the Association today.

 Chairman of the NMA FCT Chapter at a different briefing, stressed the need to safeguard the lives of doctors who were offering essential health services while the JOHESU strike lasts.
On the alleged threat to lives of doctors, she explained: “On Wednesday, January 21, 2015, in a bizarre act of aggression, members of JOHESU allegedly invaded the premises of General Hospital brandishing dangerous weapons and unleashed terror on all personnel who had kept the hospital functioning, including medical doctors. While many ran for their dear lives, a very senior medical doctor was terribly manhandled.

The attackers broke down the entrance to the main block and that of the laboratory and allegedly shot canisters of tear gas within the hospital, causing severe respiratory distress to members of staff and defenceless patients, including premature babies. The senior medical doctor, an asthmatic, nearly lost her life to the incident.

“On Thursday, January 22, 2015, members of JOHESU allegedly invaded the National Hospital Abuja, intimated, harassed, drove out all personnel working in the various units of the hospitals and locked up some departments in the hospital. They went about their actions with impunity and ransacked the entire hospital driving away recently employed health workers.
“On Monday, January 26, 2015, members of JOHESU invaded the Research Laboratory in the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada where they harassed and physically assaulted a Consultant Pathologist and his Research Assistants.”