Doctors, Nurses Fault Government on Drives To Curb Ebola Spread

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines Monday, August 11th, 2014

Less than a week to its controversial suspended nationwide industrial action, the Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has taken exception in the way Federal Government is fighting further spread of the raging and deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the country.

Consequently, the association (Lagos wing) in which not less than 30 of its members had been rendering voluntary services to the infected victims, ahead of last Thursday suspension of the national strike, called on both the federal and state governments to make available adequate protective kits as well as respond to the issues relating to hazard allowance for doctors, nurses and other health workers slated for treatment of EVD victims.

The state’s Chairman, Dr. Tope Ojo made these disclosures on Sunday during a press conference to address Ebola issue and health workers welfare.

Dr. Ojo who revealed that the life insurance cover’s promise to Doctors by the Federal and state governments, was yet to be materialized, observing that this was key as health workers managing an Ebola patient were risking their lives and their families.

“You don’t just dangle life insurance without documents. We cannot endanger our lives unless we know what is at stake.We should be assured that should anything happen to us, our families are catered for…” Ojo emphasized.

Similarly, Dr. Ojo affirmed that providing adequate protection for the health workers attending to EVD victims directly amounted to protecting the general public from being infected.

In the same vein, the state chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives criticized government of laxity and lamented that it has failed to do the needful, despite the recorded casualty of the virus in the country.

The association’s President, Mr. Abdrufai Adeniji, in a separate press conference in Lagos on Sunday, said, “It is appalling that Nigeria is still at the stage of making arrangements when the virus has already been granted certificate of occupancy and has taken full residence in the country” , stressing this was not the time for any of the stakeholder to trade in deceit.

Adeniji who urged Federal government to dialogue with Doctors on the lingering controversial NMA nationwide strike with view to making them down tools and return to their duty posts, condoled with the family of the nurse who died last week as a result of having contact with the first country’s Ebola victim, an American – Liberian, Mr. Patrick Sawyer

Meanwhile, Dr. Ojo used the conference to clarify that the over one month NMA national strike was still on. The controversy surrounding the purported suspension resulted to the resignation last Friday, the former President, Dr Kayode Obembe.