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Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The President, Commonwealth Medical Association (CMA), Dr. Osahon Enabulele, has raised the alarm that many frontline health workers responding to COVID-19 cases are at high risk of contracting and possibly spreading the disease to patients because most of them are working without Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs).
He expressed fear that could affect the commitment of Physicians and other healthcare workers, as they would be skeptical to attend to patients particularly the ones suspected to have contracted COVID-19
Dr. Enabulele, in a statement released on Thursday, urged Commonwealth member countries to urgently procure and deploy more resources including PPEs, in addition to that, provide special incentives and other welfare packages for the doctors and health workers who are responding to the pandemic.
He was scared at the astronomical increase in the number of Commonwealth countries affected by COVID-19 with unfortunate loss of physicians, health workers and citizens of the Commonwealth, and great disruptions of global activities, but was optimistic that the world will overcome the pandemic as was the case against some diseases that had ravaged several countries in the world, such as SARS, swine Flu, Bird flu, and Ebola.
He commended health workers for their sustained commitment to duty and provision of quality care to citizens despite the resource challenges and lack of adequate incentives, and also called on Commonwealth member countries to urgently improve on their political will and commitments to procure and deploy adequate and appropriate resources, including PPEs and incentives for Physicians and other health workers in the fight against Covid-19.
The CMA President was however convinced that sincere global commitment was required and must remain a ‘one for all, and all for one’ fight against COVID-19.
He reaffirmed the CMA’s commitment to fight along with World Health Organization (WHO), the Commonwealth Secretariat, Governments, the private sector and the global community, to contain community transmission of the virus and bring back those on the brink, through effective treatment, care, and support, as well as the deployment of its resources, including the CMA online University (CMA e-Varsity).
He said: “Notwithstanding the daunting challenges, the progress so far made, particularly in China, demonstrates that COVID-19 can be defeated with sustained strong political will and commitment, backed with strong health institutional frameworks, adequate protection and motivation of health workers, citizen participation, and strict adherence to defined preventive and clinical care protocols.”
