Dr Ogugua Osi-ogbu, Consultant Physician, National Hospital Abuja, has advised female doctors to report threat and assault by patients to avoid work place violence.

Osi-ogbu gave the advice at the ninth Near East and Africa Regional Congress on Thursday in Abuja on the theme “violence on health works at work place”.

She urged Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of hospitals to orientate their staff and encourage female doctors to come forward when threatened or assaulted while doing their job.

She also urged the management to use survey to monitor and evaluate improvement at the hospital, adding that such organisation should have posters with zero tolerance for violence in the hospital.

According to her, the CEOs should emphasise on violence against health workers while calling for their appreciation.

She also called on CEOs to provide hotlines where patients or family members could complain about any form of assault.

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Dr Margaret Popoola, a Surgeon Training, Trauma and Othopedic Department, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, said that the scope of violence at work place was becoming alarming.

“Violence has become very alarming worldwide; it is the second leading cause of death for women at work,’’ Popoola said.

She said that the scope would be difficult to capture since 50 to 80 per cent of the cases are not reported.

“Why women are not safe at work is because they have low status at home and in the country.

“Data shows that women under report violence and harassment, the violence can be physical, sexual and economical.

“Study shows that younger doctors face violence than older ones while female doctors suffer more than male doctors.

“Violence has negative impact on the victim, it causes her to drop out of her profession and also affect her finances,’’ the surgeon said.

She said that the culture of silence was now a common phenomenon in Africa, adding that the sensitivity of the event often made the female doctors not to talk.

Also, Dr Dabota Buowari, the Vice Chairman, Medical Women International Association Work Life Balance Special Interest Group, said that psychological damage and impaired development could be the aftermath of violence, assault and threat against female doctors.

Buowari noted that violence at work place was more of global than Nigerian problem.

“The World Health Organisation is saying that the work place should be free from any type of harassment or assault and when it occurs, should be fairly and promptly resolved,’’ she said.