The Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian
Medical Association and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and
Midwives have accused the Federal Government of not being proactive
enough in the fight against the Ebola Virus Disease.
The doctors and nurses said at separate
news conferences in Lagos on Sunday, that the government had yet to put
in....
place adequate measures to protect health workers willing to manage
those infected by the deadly virus.
The state NMA, through its chairman, Dr.
Tope Ojo, therefore challenged the federal and Lagos state governments
to provide protective kits and address the issue of hazard allowance for
doctors, nurses and other health workers ready to be involved in
treating infected persons.
It also faulted the life insurance
cover announced by both the federal and state governments, saying its
provisions had yet to be spelt out.
The NMA said, ‘‘Any health worker that
is managing an Ebola patient is risking his/her life and that of his
family. Ebola has killed over 61 doctors in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra
Leone. It is a serious issue.
“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.
“The terms of the insurance must be in public domain in a transparent manner.
“It is sad that it had to take an Ebola outbreak, for government to realise that health workers need life insurance cover.”
Also at the news conference, the
association’s Secretary, Dr. Babajide Saheed, said it was imperative
for both governments to put in place adequate infection control
measures to effectively check the spread of the EVD.
Culled - Punch
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