Nigerian Nurse In Enugu Suspended Over Facebook Post

The Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu, has placed a male nurse on three months suspension for allegedly injecting a patient with unprescribed drugs because of the patient's support for President Jonathan. 

The nurse, identified as Alozie Ejimadu, allegedly carried out the act during the March 28 presidential election. 

 Ejimadu, had gone to his Facebook wall where he boasted that the patient would sleep till when the result of the presidential election would be announced.

However, a non-governmental organization, Centre for the Right of Psychiatric Patient, irked by the Facebook post, petitioned the Board Chairman of the Hospital.

 It was gathered that the Head of Clinical Services of the Hospital, in a letter dated May 07, 2015, sent the nurse packing.

The post on his facebook as obtained read in full: 

“The announcement of presidential election has reached its crescendo to the point that one of my patient was crying, saying she is not happy because Jona failed election; i didn’t hesitate to silence her with injection Paraldehyde 10 ml stat, I’m chlorpromazine 150 mg and iv diazepam 20 mg stat. At least this will keep her sleeping till tomorrow when the final result must have been announced. “Anybody who dare think like my patient will certainly receive a double of the injection I gave my patient…(ARA GBAKWA NDI ARA AHU- meaning those mad people should get mad the more).‘’

The organization had in the petition, stated: “His activities as was posted on facebook by himself is a cross violation and abuse of the right of a psychiatric patient.

“Mr. Alozie’s activity is unbecoming of a psychiatric nurse of whose care a patient is left. We demand the hospital to immediately remove him from the clinical area and suspend him to identify the patient and assess possible damage to the patient.” 

The two-paragraph letter signed by Dr. Iteke O.C read: “I am directed by the Medical Director to interdict you for the next three months on half-salary starting from April 2015.

“You should stay away from clinical duties until after the investigation by Nursing Council of Nigeria on your internet posting of March 30, 2015, in which you claimed to have silenced a patient with diazepam, paraldehyde and chlorpromazine medications.”

Nurse Ejimadu has however taken to his Facebook page again to say it was only an imagination, but that didn't stop the disciplinary action taken against him.

*Original reportage by Vanguard, rewritten here *