By CHIOMA OBINNA

Following what it described as “unwarranted brutal assault” of health workers at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, UMTH, the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, has directed medical doctors in the hospital to immediately withdraw services until security and safety of all health workers can be guaranteed.

It could be recalled that  doctors and other health workers at the health facilty were attacked when bosies of the slain Policemen were brough in from Bama Town.

The alleged mayhem unleashed on the health workers of the hospital, including the Acting Chief Medical Director of the hospital led to the vandalization of the hospital properties, as well as health workers and patients of the hospital sustaining various degrees of injuries.

Condemning the action in a press statement, NMA President  Dr. Osahon Enabulele, stated: “On account of the unwarranted brutal assault of health workers and the total breakdown of security at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, the national leadership of the Nigerian Medical Association hereby directs all doctors in the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital to immediately withdraw from the insecure practice environment of UMTH until such a time when the security and safety of all health workers and properties in the hospital can be guaranteed by the federal government, with other necessary conditions met.”

Enabulele also called on the Federal Government to take up full responsibility for the treatment of all health workers and other innocent citizens injured in the process.

Further calling on the Inspector General of Police and the Borno state Commissioner of Police to restrain their officers from further assaulting health workers, he expressed worry on the increasing act of physical assault of medical doctors and other health workers in various health facilities across the country.

“The assault is extremely worrisome, despicable, condemnable, atavistic and most unfortunate. It clearly revalidates the fact that hospitals in Nigeria are no longer safe or sacred places.”