Enema Amodu, chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in the federal capital territory (FCT), says 20 doctors have died of coronavirus complications within the past seven days.
He stated this at a media briefing on Friday, adding that medical personnel are in need of personal protective equipment (PPEs).
Commenting on the recent increase in cases across the country, Amodu said the second wave of infections has been “catastrophic”.
“We are skilled, trained personnel to handle emergency conditions, and we need things to work with. We need ICUs; we need drugs; we need face masks; we need PPEs; we need hand sanitisers,” he said.
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“This second wave is so overwhelming. This second wave is more catastrophic and this probably will be because a lot of people have gone back to the way of doing things. They thought the virus is over; it has come and it is gone and they’ve let their guards down.
“For those of us in the health sector, we’ve lost quite a number of colleagues in the last one week alone. Across the country, we have lost not less than 20 doctors in the last one week.”
He urged patients to be sincere with medical personnel, especially on underlying conditions that may increase the risk of infection.
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“We are not in any way demeaning anybody or insulting anybody. When you sit before a doctor, ensure the safe distance and comply. And when the doctor asks if there is any other problem, please be gracious enough to let them know if you’ve either just survived COVID-19, you’re on treatment for COVID-19, or your family member is on treatment for COVID-19. Please be honest,” he added.
He also called for an upward review of hazard allowance for health workers, and urged Nigerians to endeavour to comply with all safety protocols.
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