The federal government may have exposed health workers in Nigeria to high risk of coronavirus infection; the government had ignored the provision of protective kits to the health workers, thereby, making them vulnerable in the course of their duties. The consequence was covertly celebrated by the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, at the media briefing of the Presidential task force on COVID-19. Rational government intervention or palliatives would have started with the protection of health workers, then, hazard allowance and other welfare incentives, before going to the public.
The Minister of Health at the media briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja, on Thursday revealed that about 40 health workers have tested positive to coronavirus in Nigeria.
Dr Ehanire while commending the health workers, urged them to protect themselves while treating infected patients.
“I applaud all our health workers in the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic and the government will continue to provide you with the necessary protective equipment.
“I urge you all to take all the necessary precautions for your own safety, please do not try to treat patients without using adequate PPE.
“Frontline workers must undertake refresher courses training in IPC at intervals. This advice is necessary due to the number of health workers who have tested positive – they are over 40 now,” he declared.
He was silent om government’s intervention to provide protective gadgets to assist the health workers.
Dr Ehanire admitted that though Nigeria has developed the capacity to test over 1,000 samples daily, but only 600 people register for testing daily.