By Kazeem Akolawole
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) FCT Chapter has demanded unreserved public apology from the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) over alleged bullying of one of its members.
The NMA-FCT chairman, Dr. Charles Ugwuanyi made the demand during a press briefing to express NMA displeasure over an allegation on Dr. Sunday Atinko of the National Hospital Abuja (NHA), a member of NMA.
The Chairman stated that Dr. Atinko was alleged to have involved in a physical altercation with a nurse, Nurse Marvis Ebalu at the NHA precisely on June 13, 2022 while both of them were on duty at the hospital.
According to the Chairman, the nurse had alleged the said doctor was drunk while on duty and had physically abused her to justify her refusal and insubordination towards executing her job as prescribed by doctors during ward rounds.
He said that the scene created by this nurse during this unfortunate incident attracted the immediate attention of the medical communities across the globe.
The Chairman said that following the perceived bullying of the nurse by the doctor, the NANNM FCT Chapter mobilised her members, without recourse to any fair hearing from the both parties.
He said that because of this incident, the NANNM went ahead and launched a very damaging street protest against the said doctor, calling for his head, and was subjected to cyber bullying of unprecedented dimensions from nurses across the globe.
According to the Chairman, in the heat of all these, the NMA simply appealed for calm among the medical community because it believed that NHA has inbuilt administrative mechanism to investigate the incident.
“We are aware that the NHA management first called for calm and quickly set up an investigative panel to this effect in that same June.
“We are also aware that following the submission of their report, the matter was referred to the Appointment and Promotion and Disciplinary Committee for ratification and dispensation of their findings and recommendations.
“It is instructive to note that this committee published her report in December 2022 and completely absolved Dr Atinko Sunday of all allegations leveled on him by Nurse Marvis Ebalu.
“There was never any physical abuse by this doctor, but there was a clear case of insubordinate by Nurse Marvis Ebalu.
“During NMA Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) in Dec. 2022, we also received an update on the matter but the report was not published then and the Congress still appealed for calm among her agitating members to allow NHA management more time for thorough job.
“However, during the March 2023 OGM, this report was published to the congress,” he stressed
The NMA-FCT Chairman appreciated the management of NHA for its courage, resilience to perform a thorough investigation on the matter and for publishing its findings without fear or favour of any of the parties in the matter.
He appreciates the management of NHA for vindicating Dr Sunday Atinko out of the matter, saying that its finding had further reaffirmed NMA-FCT confidence on Dr Sunday Atinko as a responsible doctor and competent surgeon.
He said that the findings had further shows that the doctor had dedicated much of his life and career to patients, adding that he is a proud husband and father of several children with moral standard.
The findings of management of NHA had not only cleared Dr Sunday Atinko, but indeed the whole hippocratic brethren in the medical profession throughout the world as leaders of the profession he said.
The Chairman said that the NMA-FCT expressed his disappointment on the leadership of NANNM-FCT for the disgraceful outing it exhibit on the issue.
He said that the leadership of NANNM-FCT should have the decency to tender an unreserved public apology to the NMA and Dr Sunday Atinko.
Ugwuanyi also said that NANNM-FCT must have the decency to deploy the same quantum of zeal and energy deployed for cyber bullying to rewrite and counter all false allegations against Dr Sunday Atinko and clear him of all damages.
He called on NANNM-FCT to immediately initiate talks with Dr Sunday Atinko as a means of creating workable environment within the two parties, and to halt further deterioration of this matter.
