The Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, has disclosed that investigations have begun into Thursday's alleged assault on a photo journalist at the hospital.
Addressing journalists on Friday, the Hospital's Chief Medical Director, Prof. David Oke, said the hospital had set up a committee to investigate the incident, alongside an ongoing police investigation into the same matter.
The photo journalist with Leadership Newspaper, Benedict Uwalaka, was brutalised by attendants at the Lekan Ogunsola Memorial Mortuary within LASUTH premises.
Uwalaka was assaulted for allegedly attempting to take pictures during the release of some victims of the Dana Air plane crash to their relatives.
"The hospital is currently investigating the incident by a committee headed by Dr. Rotimi Coker, the Grievance officer of LASUTH," Oke said, adding that the committee was expected to tender its report in two weeks.
"On behalf of LASUTH's management and staff, I tender an unreserved apology to the journalist involved, the Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ), and the public."
The CMD, however, described taking of photographs of corpses or patients within hospital premises as "unethical", adding that it could even "lead to litigation against the institution".
Oke claimed that the morgue, though in the hospital's premises, was run by private hands and as such it was difficult to determine the identities of the assailants.
"One thing that is clear from media reports is that a so-called Bayo was involved and it's being investigated by the police," he said.
Following the assault, Uwalaka was said to have sustained head injuries which necessitated his admission at the hospital for treatment.
However, Uwalaka's colleague at Leadership Newspaper, Florence Udoh, told the hospital authorities that the photo journalist had discharged himself from the hospital because he was displeased with the service rendered.
"I was with him, and I was also not impressed because the nurses were very rude. They did not attend to him and he left in sadness. I understand that the side of his head still bleeds," she said.
Prior to the incident, there have been mild altercations between journalists and staff of the hospital, who tried to prevent them from having access to the relatives of the crash victims.
Therefore, a major point raised by journalists at the briefing was the existing information gap that was allegedly leaving room for speculation in the post-reporting of the June 3, 2012 Dana Air crash.
Oke replied that the ongoing scientific process of identifying the victims and releasing them to their relatives, was "handled by the Lagos State Government and the office of the Chief Medical Examiner".
"So LASUTH is not in the position to give information," he added.-DAILY TIMES
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