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Judex Okoro, Calabar
Health professionals in Cross River have inaugrated a technical working committee to help monitor and review protocols as well as standard operating procedures, SOPs, in the state.
The 5-man central working committee is headed by Dr Obaji Apket, a Community Health Physician at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, UCTH, is also made of of NMA, AMLSN,
PSK, NANNM and MHWUN.
Tje committee among others has the mandadete among others to prevent, access information as well as review protocols and SOPs of state government and various hospitals on COVID-19.
Fielding questions from journalists shortlt after the inuagration, the Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, Dr Agam Ayuk, said the technical committee was saddled with the responsibility of evaluation and monitoring the state of preparedness and safety measure in place by hospitals as well as the government.
He said: “The term of refrence of the technical committee is to ensure compliance ,monitor and evaluate the level of preparedness and safety measures put in place by different hospitals.
“They will also asses the level of training and make recommendstion to Central working committee of health professionals in tbe state. All these are measure to ensure health workers are are safe, becuase they are first line and front line responders.
“Their safety is also paramount which is why we set up the technical comnittee to make sure Protocol and Standard Operating procedures are adhered to because we too have families.
“We dont want the public to panic at all, people should maintain hygiene and adhere to social distancing rules and stay safe,the virus is not a death sentence,” he said.
On his part ,the NLC Chairman in the state,Com Ben Ukpebi,said the inaugration of the conmittee was timely as it is only proactive to do so before any incident was reported in the state.
Ukpebi said the technical Committee
Is a good develpoment that will boost our preparedness in terms of effective response and management incase of any reported incident.
Ukpebi, who doubles as the Chairman of Medical Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, Cross River state Council, said he was not satisfied with the state of the faciliies and equipment at the isolation and insisted that that more needs to be done.
“I am not satisfied with the equipment at the isolation centre becuase what they have there are just basics and nothing more. They need ventilators and other equipment becuase without that it will be a herculean task for the health wirkers to manage any incident.
“Remember they are in the frontlines they are human beings too so need standard protective kits because they are on the frontlines,” he stated.
