Doctors decry police harassment, warn of health worker exodus
Doctors under the aegis of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP) in Lagos have raised the alarm over what they described as
Doctors under the aegis of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP) in Lagos have raised the alarm over what they described as increasing harassment and intimidation of medical practitioners by security agencies.
They also decried the unlawful arrest of doctors, alleging that the trend, particularly involving the police, is becoming widespread and poses a serious threat to healthcare delivery.
Speaking during a joint press briefing, Chairman of ANPMP Lagos, Dr. Esegine Jonathan, said the gathering was of “historic importance,” noting that recent developments pose a serious threat to the medical profession and public health.
He lamented that doctors are increasingly being “hounded, abducted from their places of work, detained and labelled criminals without due process,” stressing that operatives of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Lagos State Police Command have allegedly turned such actions into routine.
According to him, “Doctors are arrested at will, detained without charges, and treated as offenders simply because a patient dies. The police now act as accuser, prosecutor, and judge at the same time.”
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Jonathan warned that the trend could push doctors into practising “defensive medicine,” where fear of arrest discourages them from handling critical emergencies, thereby endangering lives.
“Medical emergencies require courage and presence of mind. But when doctors are constantly harassed and intimidated, that confidence is eroded. No doctor goes into practice to kill a patient. Yet, once a patient dies, the next thing is arrest and accusations of murder,” he said.
He emphasised that while doctors are trained to save lives, they are not infallible. “Even in the best hospitals, patients can die. That is why medical practice recognises limits. We care, but only God determines life and death,” he added.
Jonathan also highlighted the difficult working conditions faced by private practitioners, who he said provide their own electricity, water, security, and infrastructure, yet are mandated under the National Health Act to treat emergency cases regardless of patients’ ability to pay.
He warned that continued harassment could worsen the brain drain in the health sector, revealing that over 50,000 Nigerian doctors are already practising abroad.
Also speaking, Lagos NMA Chairman, Dr. Babajide Saheed, condemned what he described as “unwarranted and unproductive harassment” of doctors by multiple agencies, including the police, DSS, and anti-graft bodies.
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He decried the role of social media in amplifying unverified allegations of medical negligence, urging journalists to uphold investigative standards before publishing such reports.
“Doctors are human beings, not gods. We can only care; we cannot guarantee life. When things go wrong, the appropriate bodies to investigate are the regulatory authorities, not the police,” he said.
Saheed warned that if the situation persists, young doctors may increasingly shun practice in Nigeria or avoid working in private hospitals, further deepening the shortage of healthcare professionals.
On steps being taken, he said the association would escalate the matter to relevant authorities, including the Commissioner of Police, Attorney-General and the Chief Judge of Lagos State, after staging protests.
The National First Vice President of the NMA, Dr. Benjamin Olowojebutu, echoed similar concerns, stressing that patient deaths, though painful, are not grounds for criminalising medical practice.
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“When a patient dies, we are devastated. But arresting doctors for simply doing their job is wrong. Issues of negligence should be handled by the appropriate medical regulatory bodies,” he said.
Olowojebutu warned that the situation could further accelerate the exodus of doctors from Nigeria, aggravating the already critical manpower deficit in the health sector.
Responding, the Divisional Police Officer of Ikeja Division, CSP Akinwunmi Oke, assured the protesting doctors that their complaints had been forwarded to the Commissioner of Police for necessary action.
The protest underscores growing tension between healthcare professionals and law enforcement, raising concerns about its implications for healthcare delivery in the country.
