Resident doctors in South east condemn assault on colleague, threaten regional strike

The South East Caucus of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has condemned the physical assault on a resident doctor at the Accident and Emergency Department of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Anambara State, Awka, warning that failure to adequately address the incident may trigger coordinated industrial action across the region.

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The caucus disclosed this in a communiqué shared on its X account on Sunday following an emergency meeting held on Friday, 6 March 2026.

According to the statement, the assault occurred on 4 March while the doctor was actively attending to patients during a mass casualty situation.

Condemnation , Solidarity

In its communiqué, the South East Caucus described the attack as “a grave violation of the sanctity of healthcare institutions and a direct threat to the safety, dignity, and welfare of healthcare professionals.”

It emphasised that hospitals must remain centres for healing and care, and should never become arenas for intimidation, harassment, or violence against healthcare workers.

The caucus aligned fully with the position of ARD-COOUTH, commending the association’s leadership and congress for their “prompt, principled, and responsible response” aimed at safeguarding the dignity and welfare of its members.

It further assured the leadership and members of ARD-COOUTH that resident doctors across the South East region stand in complete solidarity, asserting that an assault on one doctor is considered an assault on all doctors within the region.

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Support, resolution

The Caucus also expressed unequivocal support for all demands outlined by ARD-COOUTH.

The group called on the relevant authorities to issue a formal and unreserved apology from the personnel responsible for the assault, provide full compensation covering medical care, psychological support, and replacement of personal belongings damaged or lost during the incident, and immediately strengthen security across critical service areas, particularly the Accident and Emergency Department.

In addition, the caucus urged urgent recruitment and deployment of additional medical personnel to address the manpower deficits currently affecting COOUTH, which it described as a pressing challenge for the hospital and the region’s healthcare system.

Possible industrial action
The communiqué warned that failure to adequately address the assault, or any recurrence of violence against healthcare workers, could lead to decisive collective action.

Such measures may include the coordinated withdrawal of clinical services across all federal and state tertiary health institutions within the South East geopolitical zone.

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While describing such action as undesirable, the caucus noted that it may become necessary to safeguard the lives, professional integrity, and dignity of resident doctors.

Call for government intervention

The association called on the governments of the region’s states, the leadership of the Nigerian Armed Forces, and all relevant authorities to urgently intervene to ensure justice is served, healthcare workers are adequately protected, and institutional mechanisms are strengthened to prevent any recurrence of such incidents.

The group reaffirmed that resident doctors remain committed to providing quality healthcare to the Nigerian people.

However, it stressed that this commitment must be matched with a guarantee of a safe and respectful work environment, emphasising that it will continue to monitor developments closely and take all necessary steps to protect the rights, welfare, and safety of resident doctors in the region.