Soldier beats nurse in Akure

Nurses in Ondo State under the auspices of the state branch of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives on Monday protest against the alleged assault on one of their colleagues by a soldier.

They alleged that a soldier from the 32 Artillery Brigade, also known as Owena Barracks, last Thursday beat up their colleague, Mrs. Yemi Adeniyi, while she was discharging her official duties at the state teaching hospital in Akure.

The chairman of the state branch of NANNM, Mr. Opeyemi Oloniyo, who addressed an emergence session of the congress, explained that the yet-to-be identified soldier came to visit a patient in the hospital when the incident happened.

The soldier, he said, slapped the nurse as well as used a plastic chair on her for allegedly failing to provide him a seat in the hospital.

He said, “We had already written the state government on the issue but our immediate appeal now is that we want the affected nurse to be referred to a teaching hospital where she can receive medical attention from neuro surgeons.

“The woman had fainted twice since the incident happened and it will not be fair for us to watch and see her die. What happened to her can as well happen to any of us. We are even ready to foot the bills of her treatment at the teaching hospital.”

Meanwhile, the state government has promised to treat the injured nurse at any hospital of her choice.

The Chief of Staff to Governor Olusegun Mimiko, Dr. Kolawole Ademujimi, stated this when he visited the nurse at her hospital bed.

Also, the Public Relations Officer of the 32 Artillery Brigade in Akure, Captain Ademola Adegoke, said the military authorities had already taken a disciplinary action against the soldier.

He added that the brigade commander had contacted the state government, the nurse’ union and family of the injured nurse, condemning the action of the soldier.



Culled from Punch