The Nigerian Guild has expressed concerns about the increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases among health workers, advising that testing of healthcare workers and patients in hospitals should be given utmost priority.
In a statement jointly signed by its Chairman and Secretary, Dr. Oluwajimi Sodipo and Dr. Ismail Ajibowo respectively, in Lagos, the guild emphasized the need to protect health workers as frontline health workers, those at the isolation centre and health institutions.
“The testing system for patients in hospitals and healthcare workers is dysfunctional with delayed sample analysis and result notification of over two weeks from sample collection day.”
The Guild called for a process to urgently conduct and implement prompt sample analysis with the dissemination of results to the hospitals.
It also raised concerns about the increasing shortage of adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other materials at the hospitals and isolation centres.