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Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has begun search for N500 million to procure Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs) and other infection control consumables for its members in private health care facilities to enable them contain and manage COVID-19 outbreak.
The move, perhaps, is an indication that NMA has lost hope in the ability of government to secure its members who responding to the coronavirus pandemic, particularly those in private health care facilities.
NMA President, Dr. Francis Faduyile, in a statement released in Abuja, on Sunday, said the association has unveiled a support programme tagged “save our private health practitioners initiative” for the sole objective of raising the financial and material support for its members in private hospitals.
He asked the Federal Government begin immediate implementation of the proposed comprehensive incentive packages for health workers including life insurance, enhanced hazard allowance and tax relief, urging states should do likewise to their healthcare personnel.
Meanwhile, with few hours to the end of second round of the lockdown in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun state as declared by President Muhammadu Buhari, NMA has insisted that Nigerians must sustain the momentum in order to contain the spread of COVlD-l9 in Nigeria.
It insisted that the measures, notably, social and physical distancing, use of face mask, non congregational gatherings, among several others should not be relaxed by the government.
Its president suggested that governments consider the continued and enhanced enforcement of all measures to maintain physical distancing of at least 2 meters in public spaces and avoidance of public gatherings larger than 20 persons.
He added: “Although universal use of face mask when outside, even with home-made cloth masks is desirable, it is however not a guarantee for full protection against contracting the infection. The enforcement of the wearing of face masks must be in addition to other mitigation measures.”
With the ongoing community transmission, the NMA called for massive upscaling of testing or mass screening using Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kits and further confirmation with Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method, concentrating mainly in areas with high disease burden.
“This will give the policy makers an exit window/strategy about when to begin relaxation of the lock down and other restrictions, even as the concept of the asymptomatic carrier has gained prominence,” it said.
