FOLLOWING the killing of three North Korean medical doctors in Potiskum, Yobe State on Sunday, the Nigerian Medical Association notified the government that it would not hesitate to pull health workers out of the beleaguered geo-political zone where stone-age Islamic cults continue to strive for the actualization of strict shari’a code of governance.
Three North Korean medical doctors were killed execution style: one of the victims was beheaded, another had the throat slit. The wives of the slain were hiding under their beds in the residence when soldiers came for a fruitless arrest of the assassins.
The president of the Nigeria Medical Association, Dr. Osahon Enabulele said at a press briefing in Lagos that the influential pressure group would pull its members from Northern Nigeria until the federal government is able to take charge of the security of lives and property.
Another set of three medical personnel had been murdered by the evil cult on Friday in Kano. Nine women health workers assisting in dispensing vaccines in the fight against polio were also cowardly assassinated in Kano City. The killers have not been found.
The statement by the doctors’ Association also expressed “deep pain, shock and consternation” over the incident, saying that it “learnt of the cruel murder of innocent female health workers/polio vaccinators in Kano by unknown gunmen, while preparing to commence their assigned duties of administering polio vaccines to the children in the communities of Hotoro and Undwauki respectively.”
“The NMA totally deprecates this unfortunate villainous act of murder, especially coming at a time when Nigeria is struggling very hard to drop her gold medal in polio, being one of three remaining countries where polio is endemic. In 2012, Nigeria was reported to have 121 out of 222 polio cases in the world, way ahead of countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan.
“It was therefore a great shock that the female health workers were murdered in the course of vaccinating Nigerian children against polio.
“The murder of the female health workers is a further reminder of Nigeria’s abysmal state of insecurity, social dislocation and depravity. It also further exposes the high level of insecurity of healthcare workers in Nigeria, as well as the persisting misconceptions about polio vaccination.
“The NMA deeply condoles the families of the slain health workers and all those injured during the shooting incidence, and calls on governments at all levels to step up efforts at redressing the rising state of insecurity, as well as incessant and mind boggling violence and mayhem unleashed on Nigerians on a daily basis.
“In particular, NMA calls on government at Federal, State and Local levels to urgently provide greater security cover for healthcare workers in all public health facilities in Nigeria. We restate our earlier call on governments at all levels to provide effective police/security post in all public health facilities in Nigeria.
“NMA also calls for intensification of health enlightenment and reach out campaigns to demystify the myths surrounding Polio vaccination.
“NMA considers the slain polio vaccinators as heroes in the war against polio in Nigeria and symbols of implementation of the Child Survival Strategies.
“We also deeply commiserate with the Government and people of Kano State over the most unfortunate incidence as well as the Minister of Health and the Minister of State for Health over the tragic murder of these innocent Nigerians/polio vaccinators,” statement concluded.
Meanwhile, Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, has ordered special security for all medical personnel involved in the ongoing routine immunisation.
This is contained in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by CSP Frank Mba, the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer.
The measure was sequel to the recent attacks on health workers in Kano.
The statement said that the special security arrangement also covered medical personnel involved in other special medical tasks.
The statement directed Commissioners of Police in the states and Assistant Inspectors-General of Police, especially those in charge of the northern states, to devise security strategies to prevent further attacks.