COVID-19: NMA begins collection of data of deceased members

Fred Ezeh, Abuja 

Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), yesterday, said it has commenced the process of collecting data of members that died while attending to patients that have contracted COVID-19  for possible payment of insurance to their next-of-kin. 

NMA President, Prof. Innocent Ujah, stated this at an event by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) to present cheques of N1 million each to the next-of-kin of three doctors that died in the line of duty last year in Abuja.

Ujah, who  condoled with families of the deceased doctors, assured  that the NMA and MDCN would continue to remember them for the services they rendered to humanity while alive.

“This money does not equal the value of life of your lost family member. It’s just a token to help the people left behind to continue life. Meanwhile, we have  sent notices to all state branches of NMA to collate the data of doctors that died as a result of COVID-19 and forward same to the national headquarter of NMA in Abuja for further action. It also includes doctors who contracted COVID-19 in the course of duty. The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has up to date figure of their members that contracted the disease and those that died of the virus. But NARD is just a sub-unit of NMA. Very shortly, we will finish the collation, and continue to update the data. We have put up a system that will enable us to know when any of our member dies,” he said.

Registrar of MDCN, Dr. Tajudeen Sanusi, lamented that majority of doctors were unaware of the life insurance policy taken by MDCN for them, even though some were benefitting from it.