The National Association of Residents Doctors (NARD), South West Caucus, has commended its members and other health workers for their efforts at combating the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic.
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This is contained in communique jointly signed by its Leader, Dr Sebastian Oiwoh and Deputy, Dr Taofeek Sanni.
The communique was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) on Tuesday in Ibadan after the NARD caucus meeting held on Monday in Ogbomoso.
“We commend our members, Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), other health workers, government at all levels and the people, for their efforts at combating COVID-19 global pandemic in the country.
“This unified effort and cooperation saw the successful defeat of Ebola Virus
Disease epidemic in 2014 and it is our hope and prayer that it shall pay off this time around too,” it said.
The association said that it was closely monitoring the happenings in the country, especially the tertiary health institutions in relation to the COVID -19 pandemic spread and management.
It said that the NCDC report revealed that the South West region accounted for 67.5 percent of COVID-19 confirmed cases in the country.
“The NCDC report revealed that out of the total number of COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths in the country as at April 12, the region accounts for 67.5 per cent of the cases (218 out of 323) and 50 per cent of deaths (5 out of 10).
“No state in the region is presently spared of the virus.
“We are aware of the increasing reports of hoarding and denial by patients, and their relatives as regards their traveling history and other important COVID-19 symptoms, which increases the risk of exposure of their people to the disease,” it said.
The NARD said that inadequate provision of necessary personal protective equipment by hospital management had continued to worsen the situation.
“There are reports that some hospitals don’t readily make materials available, others claim unavailability due to poor funding by the government to the teaching hospitals in the fight against this scourge.
“These acts could further threaten the wellbeing of our members who are in the frontline of attending to all forms of patients at the hospitals,” it said.
The group lamented the increasing number of their members who are now in quarantine, saying that about 19 of them have been confined due to exposure to COVID-19 infection in various tertiary health institutions in the region.
It said that such situation was avoidable if the needful had been done by the authorities, patients and relations concerned.
The association also expressed dissapointment over intimidation and harassment of its members in the line of duty by some overzealous law enforcement agents during the lockdown period despite being exempted.
It expressed optimism on the various efforts being made by it and NMA towards ensuring that government increased considerably their meagre hazard allowance in the face of various infectious diseases like COVID-19, Lassa fever among others.
It said that Lassa fever killed more people in 2020 than COVID-19, emphasising the difficult terrain members had to work daily to keep the society safe.
“The association shall continue to monitor events as they unfold and would not hesitate to take the needed action when necessary,” it said.
NARD reassured its members across tertiary health facilities of its commitment to their welfare during the turbulent period, and appealed to them to remain calm in the face of numerous provocations.