Easing of Lockdown Premature and dangerous- NMA
– Steve Ovirih.
Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has warned that as the incidence of the COVID 19 hits the 2000th mark just 7 days after hitting the 1000th mark , it has figuratively tilted the epidermiological curve towards an upward spike.
In a statement jointly signed by NMA national Presidential , Dr. Francis Faduyile and the national Secretary General, Dr Olumuyiwa Odusote , which was made available to thepolity.net , the association said the situation becomes more worrisome as the Nigerian Center For Disease Control (NCDC) has come out to say the nation lacks bed spaces in Lagos, a metropolis with a very huge cluster of Nigeria’s population . While alluding reason why Federal Government should be discreet about easing the lockdown , the NMA statement reads ,” the easing of the lockdown even in phases is to say the least premature,adding that the confusing situation in Kano is neither unraveled nor resolved. Thus it is grand delusion for some states continue to boast
of zero covid incidence.
The statement reads in part: ” Nigeria should learn from her neighbor Ghana where the same action produced a 100% increase in infection rate in just a week. The association believes that agencies of state should intensify efforts through mass enlightenment campaign beyond current attempt to explain the dangers inherent in easing the lockdown prematurely in the face of rising infection rates and also for the palliatives to reach the needy.”
NMA says it condemns the rather meddlesome pronouncements by some state actors on the management protocols for covid 19 In the country. ” We view the directive by the Bauchi state Governor for the use of a specific drug in the treatment of positive cases as improper and unethical. Medical Doctors have the prerogative to use whatever treatment regimen,” NMA stated.
NMA asked Nigerian political leaders to desist from distracting medical professionals in the discharge of their duties during this challenging period of coronavirus pandemic.They asked the state executives to encourage the doctors , nurses and other health workers through the provision of personal preventive equipment (PPE) , incentives and communication tools to interact with peers within the country and overseas as it is customary in the world of medical science to arrive at the best possible intervention for their patients.
Nigerian Medical Association advised their members not to let down their guards in the course of discharging their duties and reminded them to always adhere strictly to infection prevention and control protocols.
The body reminded the Federal Government that science and technology must inform politics and policies: ” we wish that the Panel of Experts recently inaugurated by the Federal Ministry of Health is empowered to immediately commence their work of thinking, analyzing, synthesizing , collating and disseminating the most relevant information that informs the best practice in the management of our COVID 19 patients.”
