LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- Concerns over healthcare worker safety in Nigeria have intensified following a violent attack on a female doctor in Ogun State, prompting the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to issue warnings of a potential nationwide industrial dispute.
Citing systemic failures, the association described the latest assault at Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital in Sagamu, as a growing threat to medical personnel.
In a statement signed by its President, Dr Mohammad Usman Suleiman, NARD said the incident goes far beyond a single act of violence, pointing instead to deeper institutional and security lapses within the health sector.
NARD expressed its “strongest outrage and unequivocal condemnation,” describing the attack as “shocking and barbaric,” and a “gross violation of human dignity, professional sanctity, and the safety of healthcare workers.”
According to the association, the victim, a female House Officer was “an innocent, dedicated young doctor” who was “singled out and brutally attacked” after being identified as part of the team that treated a patient who later died at the Accident and Emergency unit.
The assault was reportedly carried out by about seven individuals alleged to be students of Gateway ICT Polytechnic. NARD stressed, “This horrifying incident… represents a gross violation.”
However, the group emphasized that the implications stretch well beyond the attack itself. It warned that hospitals across the country are increasingly becoming unsafe spaces for those tasked with saving lives, stating, “Hospitals are sanctuaries of healing, not battlegrounds of violence.”
The statement added that it is “deeply disturbing that doctors… are now subjected to physical harm while discharging their duties.”
Amid rising tensions, the association has taken immediate action by directing its members at the Sagamu facility to withdraw their services.
READ ALSO: Céline Dion Confirms Return To Stage After Rare Illness Fight
“In line with our zero-tolerance stance on assaults against our members, all NARD members at OOUTH Sagamu… are hereby directed to embark on an immediate withdrawal of services until safety assurances are guaranteed,” it said.
At the same time, NARD is demanding accountability and swift justice. The association called for “the urgent identification, arrest, and prosecution of all individuals involved in this heinous act,” insisting that “justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done.”
Responsibility, it noted, also lies with institutional authorities. The association urged the management of Gateway ICT Polytechnic to “collaborate with security agencies” to apprehend those responsible, while also calling on the institution to “take responsibility for the actions of their students, including covering the full cost of medical care and providing adequate compensation to the assaulted doctor.”
Furthermore, NARD pressed the hospital’s management to “urgently overhaul and reinforce the security architecture within the hospital premises,” highlighting the need for stronger preventive measures and improved welfare conditions for healthcare workers. The association warned that unresolved concerns could escalate into a broader crisis.
“Failure to meet these demands promptly will compel escalation to a regional and national industrial dispute,” the statement said.
Support for the injured doctor remains central to the group’s message, with NARD expressing solidarity and wishing her “a swift recovery, physically, emotionally, and professionally,” while reiterating a broader call for systemic reform.
Ensuring safe working conditions for healthcare professionals has become an urgent priority, with stakeholders under pressure to act decisively to restore trust, protect lives, and prevent further disruption across the nation’s fragile health system.
Ultimately, the association declared that “Healthcare workers must be protected. Justice must prevail.”
