Doctors in Ondo shut down hospital over attack on colleague

Doctors at the Federal Medical Centre in Owo, Ondo State, have begun a 72-hour warning strike following the alleged assault of one of their colleagues by a patient’s relative inside the hospital premises.

The industrial action, which started on Sunday, has disrupted services at both FMC Owo and its Akure Annex. The doctors have stated that the strike will continue until those responsible for the attack are apprehended and adequate security measures are put in place.

The decision was contained in a communiqué issued after an emergency general meeting of the Association of Resident Doctors, FMC Owo chapter, held on Saturday, May 30, 2026. The communiqué, signed by the association’s President, Dr. Adeola Oluwadamilola, and Secretary-General, Dr. Dare Aderemi, was made available on Monday.

The association alleged that the assaulted doctor was slapped several times and manhandled by a patient and the patient’s wife. It noted that attacks on doctors had become a recurring problem, with the latest incident being the second such case in the institution this year.

The doctors described the assault as yet another example of rising violence against healthcare workers while performing their duties.

The communiqué stated that the 72-hour total strike began at 8:00 am on Sunday, May 31, 2026, and would be reviewed only when adequate armed security is provided at the hospital and its annexes.

Additionally, the doctors insisted that the alleged attackers must be arrested, made to issue a public apology in a national newspaper, and pay damages to the assaulted colleague before the strike would be called off.