Our correspondent learnt that Agara, who had been admitted at the intensive care unit of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, was beaten at the General Hospital, Surulere.
The incident occurred as the strike affected activities at most hospitals in the state on Tuesday. Only doctors, who are members of management staff, were attending to patients.
Our correspondent found that the secretary had gone to the general hospital to monitor the strike, when he was accosted by policemen and beaten with gun butts.
The Chairman of the state branch of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr. Adedamola Dada, who confirmed the assault, said that a medical resonance imaging had been conducted on the ailing doctor.
Dada stated this as the state branch of the Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners faulted the strike.
The medical guild consists of doctors in the service of state governments while AGPMP are doctors in private practice.
At a news conference in Lagos on Tuesday, the Chairman of AGPMP, Dr. Anthony Omolola, said most of the issues that led to the strike had been resolved.
“We appeal passionately to our colleagues to kindly call off the strike and allow due process,” he said.
Explaining how Agara was beaten, Dada said, “The report I got from the guild was that Agara as the secretary had gone to Surulere General Hospital, when he was assaulted by the policemen.
“He was rescued by people coming into the hospital. He is currently at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital.”
When contacted on the telephone, the Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Command, Mr. Frank Mba, said that the complaint lodged at the Surulere Police Station was that the hospital’s medical director engaged the services of some people, not policemen, to beat Agara.
Mba, a superintendent of police, said that at press time, the divisional crime officer had sent some policemen to the hospital where Agara was said to be receiving treatment to ascertain his health condition.
He insisted that issues raised by the guild had not been addressed. These, he stated, included the reversal of the dismissal of the Chairman of the guild, Dr. Ibrahim Olaifa.
Justifying the dismissal of the medical doctor, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, at a news conference on Tuesday, said the action was purely a disciplinary measure.
The commissioner said that the issue of welfare package, which the doctors were agitating for had been approved by the state Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola, saying it would be implemented soon.
A member of the association, who insisted that he was the chairman state‘s NMA, Dr. Babafemi Thomas, supported government‘s action. He advised all law-abiding doctors to shun the strike.