The Kano State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Amina Abdullahi HOD, has challenged the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in the state to follow through with their threat to strike, stemming from accusations of assault against a female doctor. In a phone interview on Monday, Abdullahi refuted claims of any wrongdoing after the NMA demanded her dismissal due to an alleged incident at the Emergency Paediatric Unit of the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital on November 1, 2024.
The NMA issued an ultimatum to the Kano State Government, insisting that Abdullahi be removed from her position. The association warned that it would suspend medical services at the hospital within 48 hours if their demands were not addressed. “Our decision to suspend services is difficult but necessary. Healthcare professionals should not have to work in fear. This action calls on both the government and the public to recognize the daily challenges we face in delivering care,” stated Dr. Abdurrahman Ali, the state NMA Chairman.
In her response, Abdullahi expressed her indifference towards the NMA’s threats, stating, “Let them embark on strike now! They are not the ones that appointed me. My office is the humanitarian office.” She accused the medical staff of negligence during an emergency situation when a patient required immediate attention.
Narrating the incident, Abdullahi described how a patient was ignored by the nursing staff. “I cannot even recognize her voice; I don’t know what she looks like because she did not respond to me. Somebody called me—her patient—she was knocking on the door of the nurse. The nurse locked the door and refused to attend to the patient, and the patient was fainting. I rushed from a wedding to the hospital,” she recounted.
Upon arriving, Abdullahi said she encountered the doctor at the table attending to patients. Despite greeting her multiple times, the doctor allegedly failed to respond, leading to a confrontation that saw Abdullahi leave in frustration. “Then she looked at me up and down, folded her arms on her chest, went to her office, and banged the door. I went to my car provoked and stranded,” she added.
While denying any personal confrontation, Abdullahi claimed she attempted to reach out to the Commissioner for Health and the Secretary to the State Government but received no response until the situation escalated. “I called the Commissioner for Health five times; he didn’t respond. I called the SSG, but he didn’t respond to my call,” she said.
Following the incident, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the hospital was alerted, and Abdullahi noted that both the CMO and the Chief Security Officer acknowledged the doctor’s misconduct. She instructed them to submit a report recommending sanctions against the health worker involved in the incident.