Godwin Udoh, Asaba
Nigerian Medical Association, NMA Chairman Delta State Chapter, Dr. Ekeneam N. Omo has urged residents in the state that Coronavirus pandemic is not a scam and that the only way to contain the spread is to obey the stay at home order by government.
The Association gave the advice today while briefing journalists in Asaba, saying that, government have done alot, but needed to do more, mandating doctors and healthcare workers in the State not to go near any COVID-19 patient without their protective kits, especially the HAZMAT suit.
“COVID-19 is not a political scam, its real. You have to obey the ‘stay at home’ instruction, which is not a punishment but a critical sacrifice towards containing the spread of the virus. In addition, you must regularly wash your hands or sanitize them with alcohol based hand sanitizers and then wear a mask”, the Chairman said.
The NMA Delta State Chapter urged members not to go near any COVID-19 patient without putting on their Personal Protective Equipment, PPE, adding that doctors and healthcare workers need to be adequately protected to save lives.
Ekeneam underscored the utmost need to protect health workers during the ravaging global pandemic, making reference to the loss of a doctor in Lagos and another in Katsina whose wife was also infected.
” That over 25 doctors were currently in isolation centre at UBTH having been infected, stressing that the Association would not close its eyes to allow its members die as a result of inadequate protection.
“COVID-19 is a novel disease because of the mode of spread. It’s an airwaves disease and that is why everybody must take precautionary measures”.
However, the NMA called on government to immediately review the hazard allowance, which he said had been a long standing demand even before COVID-19. He said the allowance of N5000 to healthcare workers was meagre and not commensurate with the risk the healthcare workers go through to manage patients, even before COVID-19.
“It is no more news that government was doing a lot, but needed to do more, urging them to keep doing more until the war against the Coronavirus pandemic is won”.
He also demanded for for the institution of compensation package for all doctors and healthcare workers who die or suffer disability from attending to patients suffering from COVID-19 infection, which could be in the form of life and disability insurance.
Other areas of concern to the Medical Practitioners in this COVID-19 period include, the demand for a tax relief for all healthcare workers as a moral booster, special allowances for healthcare workers attending to patients in isolation centres, speedy stimulus package from government to the people and adequate measures to curtail the spread of COVID-19 even after the lockdown.