By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta
Pandemonium broke out on Wednesday at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, when patients in the hospital protested what they described as the ‘poor treatments’ they are subjected to by management of the facility.
It was gathered that a psychiatric doctor, whose identity is yet-to-be ascertained, and three nurses escaped being killed by the protesting patients.
But the doctor suffered teeth bites.
Frightenly, the violent protest took staff of the health facility by surprise, and lasted for over two hours.
Later, police operatives from the Lafenwa Divisional Headquarters intervened and brought the situation under control.
Their anger
Furthermore, it was gathered that the patients were protesting poor feeding, poor sanitary system, as well as absence of alternative electricity supply, anytime the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, IBEDC, cuts power supply.
Some relatives of the patients, who spoke with newsmen, said the matter had been on for a while before some of the patients resorted to protesting the situation.
They said it was the result lack of solutions to the problems.
Cost of treatment
A female relative of one of the patients, who pleaded anonymity, said the least amount being paid by each of the patients ranges from N500,000 to N700,000.
The person said the cost depends on the period of the patients’ stay in the facility.
Contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the facility, Abiola Ajibola, said the matter was “just an internal affairs” which had been redressed.
Speaking on the development, after securing the approval from the State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, the Lafenwa Divisional Police Officer, Enatufe Omoh, said only one of the psychiatric doctors was assaulted.
He said the doctor sustained varying degrees of teeth bites from the protesting on-admission psychiatric patients.
Enatufe, a Chief Superintendent of Police, spoke with newsmen at exactly 8: 05 p.m.
He stated that the protesters had disagreements with their handlers at the facility, having been denied some privileges.
The DPO said their grouse included seeing their relations who would take them home after being discharged from the hospital, as well as not being allowed to freely move around.
However, he denied the death of anybody within the period the protests lasted.
At press time, the Police Public Relations Officer in Ogun Command would not pick calls put across to her mobile number.
She was persistently rejecting calls. (Vanguard)
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