Follow Us on Google
From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Doctors under the umbrella of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), have urged the general populace to get vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccines in order to reduce the burden of the disease.
The advice by the medical professionals is coming as a result of the strongly held belief in some quarters that the vaccines were met to achieve a predetermined objective other than building immunity against the deadly virus.
Giving the advice in a communiqué, the South-South Zonal Executive Council (ZEC) of the NMA, assured that the vaccines have be proven to be safe and effective in reducing the disease burden.
The communiqué which was signed by signed by Dr. Nwose Emmanuel and Okoacha Innocent, chairman and secretary respectively of the South-South zone of NMA, was issued at the end of the ZEC meeting held in Asaba, Delta State.
It expressed gladness in the reduction of number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria, and urged Nigerians to continue to observe the precautionary measures to curtail the spread of the deadly virus and avert another wave of the infection.
On COVID-19 special hazard allowance, the communique appealed to governors of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Edo and Rivers states to domesticate and pay the allowance to all doctors and other healthcare workers in their states, as it was done for our federal counterparts.
It commended Delta State Governor for being the first to commence the payment of the said allowance, but urged him to extend the payment to healthcare workers in University, Polytechnic, Colleges of Education health centres.
It however noted with “dismay the abysmally low monthly hazard allowance of N5,000 in the face of the increase health hazards faced by doctors and other healthcare workers due to the dreaded COVID-19 Pandemic and other deadly infectious diseases.
“The council called on state and federal governments to approve a percentage of the consolidated basic salaries as monthly hazard allowance for all doctors and healthcare workers in Nigeria as we continue to battle infectious diseases and other human ailment on daily basis at our work places.”
Condemning the alarming rate of insecurity across Nigeria, the zonal NMA
admitted that it has generally “impacted negatively on the economy, increased capital flight, caused overwhelming of health resources due to greater number of injuries, and worsened the health indices in Nigeria.
While appreciating efforts of government and the security agencies, the doctors called on the federal and state governments to “increase the capacity of the security agencies, encourage citizens engagement in community sensitization, provide basic needs of the citizens, improve employment opportunities and strengthen the economic base of the nation to reduce criminality & other violence in Nigeria.
“Security agencies were also advised to change their operational strategies to conquer the criminals who constitute mayhem among law abiding citizens of our country.”
