Health Organizations reacts over harassment of their workers by police
For about two weeks now since the lock down in Anambra state, we made arrangements to use the hospital vehicle to convey home our staff as much as possible in the afternoons, so as to help minimize the stress and cost of transportation.
Just this afternoon, they were stopped and harrassed unnecessarily by some police officers and other members of the force.
They all had their official identity cards, conveyed by our official driver who also had his official ID and current drivers license. The vehicle was also conspicuously branded with the name of the hospital.
Even when they called and we tried to speak with the officers on phone to further confirm that they are our staff (peradventure they didn’t observe the nurses on uniform), they declined to speak on the phone with anyone on phone.
They were delayed unnecessarily (even when other vehicles were allowed to pass) for about an hour, thereby causing more stress to the already-stressed health workers. According to them, the officers were requesting for a particular “Health Workers Permit” and i wondered what other permit surpasses their official ID cards.
I had to call on the Honorable Commissioner of Health who expressed disappointment at the action meted out on our staff and also corrected that the said “permit” was only for members of the government Task Force and not for health workers who should have their own Identity Cards or official uniform.
I use this opportunity to call on the state government officials, the higher authorities of the Nigerian Police, FRSC, Army and other forces on the state, to kindly help us to be cordial with members of the public, especially health workers who go about their normal duties. Subjecting them to such inhuman and disrespectful embarrassments is very bad.
I am aware that there exists very distinguished officers. At the same time, there are also some unscrupulous members who hides under the cover pf the force to intimidate the members of the public.
This is a time to work together as a team as we collectively fight the COVID-19
~ Nonso’Prof’ Stanley Anene,
Onitsha, Anambra State
14 April 2020
