*** Assault medical officers
About five armed hoodlums at the weekend stormed a public health centre at Irona Quarters of Ado- Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, allegedly demanding a day-old baby delivered at the health facility for ritual purpose.
The armed men, who were specific that a baby was delivered of her mother on Friday at the health centre, were said to have attacked medical officers on duty for telling them that all babies delivered at the facility had been discharged alongside their mothers.
A source at the health centre told journalists yesterday that some of the assaulted medical officers were hospitalised following the various degrees of injuries they sustained from the beatings from the hoodlums.
According to the source, one of staff of the hospital who sustained leg injury while scampering for safety is still receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital, while others were treated and immediately discharged on Saturday.
“The people came in the night and asked that a baby that was delivered on Friday should be handed over to them. But the medical personnel on duty told them that the baby had been discharged.
“This angered them and they started beating up the medical officers just as they ransacked the all the rooms in the health centre before they left.
“It was only after their departure that the officers could cry for help following which neighbours came to attend to them,” the source said.
The Caretaker Committee Chairman of Ado Local Government Area, who expressed shock at the incident during his visit, immediately ordered the suspension of night duties at the healthy centre till adequate security measures would be put in place.
Olanipekun, who described the incident as the highest point of callousness, listed the planned security measures to include fencing all health facilities.
He, however, advised that all women in labour should be referred to Okeyinmi Health Centre.
The chairman said: “We are taking steps to forestall further occurrence. The doctor in charge had reported the case at the police station at Okesa and we are planning to fence all the health centres and beef up security”.
But the police spokesman, Mr. Victor Babayemi, said the incident had not been reported at the Police Headquarters in Ado Ekiti.