Suspected hoodlums attacked doctors and health workers on duty in the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, on Monday morning and stole a corpse.

The incident was said to have happened at the accident and emergency ward, as the hoodlums destroyed facilities and whisked away a corpse suspected to be the father of one of them.

Following the security breach at the medical facility, the Association of Resident Doctors in the hospital asked its members to go on an indefinite strike immediately.

The directive was in a letter addressed to the chief medical director of the hospital, Kayode Olabanji and signed by the association’s president, Famous Adeyemi.

“The above-named association write to notify you of the decision of the emergency congress held today to embark on an indefinite strike with immediate effect.

“This is followed by the actions of hoodlums who stormed the accident and emergency unit of the hospital in the early hours of today and assaulted some members of the association, destroyed several hospital equipment and properties, and stole a corpse during the attack.

“This attack is happening at a time when our members are showing understanding with the state government on the non-implementation of our demands on improved welfare vis-a-vis being faced with work overload and exhaustion, which is a result of poor remuneration, pay disparity and the attending effect of local brain drain,” the letter partly read.

The association called on the hospital management and Governor Abiodun Oyebanji to ensure the arrest of the culprits.

“We also implore the state government to, as a matter of urgency, attend to our pending demands which bother on improved welfare of our members. We implore the management and the Government to provide a lasting solution to these incessant assaults on our members and ensure safety when they are at their duty posts,” it said.

It also urged the Ekiti House of Assembly to enact laws to criminalise assault on health workers.

“The strike will not be called off until our demands are met,” the association added.