Angela Onwuzoo
The Nigerian Medical Association has condemned the murder of one of its members, Dr. Uyi Iluobe at Olive Hospital, Oghara, Delta State by a relative of a patient.
The patient had died from suspected gunshot injuries.
The NMA in a statement titled, “Gruesome Murder of Dr. Uyi Iluobe” signed by its President, Dr. Uche Ojinmah, and made available to Reportr Door HealthWise called on the Inspector General of Police to urgently fish out the killers of the doctor.
According to the statement, a relative of the patient murdered the doctor on 31st December 2022.
The late Dr. Iluobe, the statement said, had demanded that the relatives first get a police report and in the process, the patient died.
The statement read in part, “The Nigerian Medical Association received with shock and sadness the news of the murder on 31st December 2022 of Dr. Iluobe by the relatives of his patient at Oghara where his practice was based.
“Above scenario being the response of the patient relatives to the loss of a patient from suspected gunshot injuries can never be justifiable and has taken violence against doctors and other health care workers from injuries to murder.
“It is unbelievable that in the face of a debilitating medical brain drain, the few doctors that patriotically decided to stay back and take care of our fellow citizens are being murdered by the same Nigerians.”
The NMA called on the Delta State government and the Inspector-General of Police to as a matter of urgency bring the perpetrators to book.
“While we sympathise with the family of the patient that was lost, we strongly condemn this murder and call on the Government of Delta State, and the Inspector-General of Police to as a matter of urgency bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to book to assuage the pain we feel. A man should not be murdered for the selfless act of being on duty on a new year’s eve,” the statement noted.
The NMA further called on the National Assembly to make a law criminalising violence against Health care workers.
“Please save our souls from wanton attacks by fellow Nigerians
We are closely monitoring the handling of the case of Dr. Uyi Iluobe’s murder and shall respond as the need arises,” the NMA said.
It could be recalled that an angry father and son had on 21 December 2022 descended heavily on a medical doctor and a nurse at the Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta after losing their family member.
Pandemonium broke out at the emergency ward of the hospital shortly after a 53-year-old female patient died.
Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Ogun State Chapter, Dr. Kunle Ashimi said that the father and son slapped the doctor after the death of their relative who died of heart failure was announced to them.
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