As the world commemorates this year’s World Day for Safety and Health at Work, the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA has said that a total of 264 doctors have been exposed to coronavirus scourge, out of which 20 persons have contracted the infection, and two recovered so far with three deaths .
In a message of support to the frontline health workers, most especially for those who have been infected with the deadly virus, and a scout salute to those who have lost their lives at the point of duty fighting the disease, the NMA also salute health workers over what they described as their ‘astute conviction and unwavering patriotism’.
Commiserating with the families and associates of the departed, the NMA emphasized that contracting the virus from patients with the highly contagious COVID-19 was possible even with the best of conditions due to an unavoidable close contact with the patients.
In the message jointly signed by the National President of the NMA, Dr. Francis Faduyile and the General Secretary, Dr. Olumuyiwa Odusote to mark this year’s Health at Work with the theme: “Stop the pandemic: Safety and health at work can save lives”, the NMA reiterates the reduction in the number of confirmed cases if there is a strict adherence to the global best practice of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) protocols.
Availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) inadequate quality and quantity, amenities like running water, aiding the environment in the health service space and spirit-lifting motivation and incentives can ameliorate hazardous environments, reduce drastically the incidence of nosocomial infections and engender a hazard-free health service environment.
“We salute the astute conviction and unwavering patriotism of all health workers in Nigeria especially the uncommon courage at the war front against COVID-19 and commiserate with the families and associates of the deceased.”
The NMA then pledged to continue to engage with appropriate levels of authority to provide for the safety of healthcare workers across Nigeria, while encouraging their members to foster courage to continue to defend their fatherland and its people against the ravaging army of Coronavirus.
“This is also why the NMA has flagged off the “Save Our Private Health Practitioners (SOPHEP) Program” to mobilise resources in cash and kind to provide adequate PPE and consumables to assist private health facilities seemingly abandoned by public authorities to practice IPC for their safety and protection of their staff, their patients and by extension the general public,” they added.
