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The Kano State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Amina Abdullahi HOD, has dared the Nigerian Medical Association in the state to proceed on strike, as she was accused of assaulting a female doctor.
In a telephone interview with our correspondent on Monday, Abdullahi denied insulting the doctor after the NMA called for her dismissal over an alleged assault on the doctor at the Emergency Paediatric Unit of the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, on November 1, 2024.
The NMA issued an ultimatum to the Kano State Government, calling for the commissioner’s dismissal.
Following the despicable act, the Kano NMA threatened to suspend medical services at the hospital within 48 hours if their demands were not met.
“Our decision to suspend services is difficult but necessary. Healthcare professionals should not have to work in fear. This action calls on both the government and the public to recognize the daily challenges we face in delivering care,” the state NMA Chairman, Dr Abdurrahman Ali, partly stated.
In her reaction, the commissioner said, “Let them embark on strike now! They are not the ones that appointed me. My office is the humanitarian office.”
The commissioner, who accused the health worker of negligence, narrated how she was ignored by the staff when she intervened in a situation where a patient could not get prompt treatment.
“I cannot even recognise her voice; I don’t know what she looks like because she did not respond to me. Somebody called me—her patient—she was knocking on the door of the nurse. The nurse locked the door and refused to attend to the patient, and the patient was fainting. I rushed from a wedding to the hospital.
“On arrival, I met her on the table, attending to patients… I greeted her, but she didn’t respond. I greeted her twice but she didn’t respond. Then the third time I said, Nurse, what is going on here?
“Then she looked at me up and down, folded her arms on her chest, went to her office, and banged the door. I went to my car provoked and stranded,” she narrated.
While denying any personal confrontation with the doctor, Abdullahi said she called the Commissioner for Health and Secretary to the State Government, who did not respond to her calls until the matter escalated.
She said, “I called the Commissioner for Health five times; he didn’t respond. I called the SSG, but he didn’t respond to my call.
“Subsequently, she called her husband and the CMO (Chief Medical Officer) of the hospital. They went directly to the door and knocked as I have no idea of what they discussed.”
The commissioner noted that the CMO and Chief Security Officer acknowledged the doctor’s misconduct, and were instructed by the commissioner to submit a report, recommending sanctions.
