Posted on: Wed 29-04-2020

A MESSAGE OF SOLIDARITY TO HEALTH WORKERS ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO CONTRACTED COVID-19 AND TRIBUTE TO THOSE WHO HAVE DIED FROM COVID-19 IN NIGERIA ON THE OCCASION OF THE WORLD DAY FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH AT WORK 2020

April 28 is marked globally since 2003 as the World Day for Safety and Health at work. The theme for 2020 marking is “Stop the pandemic: Safety and health at work can save lives”. This activity cannot have come at a better time; the theme is very apt. information available to the Nigerian Medical Association reveals that a total number of 264 doctors have been exposed to COVID-19 situations out of which 20 actually contracted the infection, 2 have recovered so far with three mortalities. These are among the over 66 healthcare workers who have tested positive after their exposure and 4 who died. 

NMA acknowledges that contracting the virus from patients with the highly contagious COVID-19 is feasible even with the best of conditions due to the inevitability of close contacts with the sick. The Association however restates that the occurrence could be reduced with strict adherence to the global best practice of infection prevention and control (IPC) protocols. Availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) in adequate quality and quantity, amenities like running water, enabling environment in the health service space and spirit lifting motivation and incentives can mitigate 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 Association pledges to continue to engage with appropriate levels of authority to provide for the safety of healthcare workers all over Nigeria while mobilizing ourselves to brace up to continue to defend our fatherland and its people against the ravaging army of corona virus. 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. 

Signed:

Dr. Francis A. Faduyile 

President 

Dr. Olumuyiwa P. Odusote

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