Healthcare workers becoming endengered by COVID-19, laments NHIS boss

Says many health facilities being deserted

As scheme donates PPEs to Police

The Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Prof Mohammed Sambo has lamented that many healthcare workers are becoming endangered by the Covid-19 pandemic while many health facilities across the country are being deserted.

Worried by the high number of frontline workers infected with the coronavirus disease, the NHIS has provided Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to the Nigeria Police to enable men of the force combat COVID-19 safely.

Presenting the items to the Inspector General of Police at the Police Clinic, yesterday in Abuja, the NHIS boss stressed the need to ensure the protection of Healthcare workers in all the facilities to ensure effective service delivery and also reduce the level of infections in the country.

Sambo observed that the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 (PTF) had asked the NHIS to support security agencies with PPEs adding that the agency procedures PPEs for the police being a frontline non-health sector group that is in the Vanguard of the fight against the coronavirus.

He listed the items donated to the Police to include, 125 pieces of Infrared thermometer, 250 packs of disposable masks, 240 packs of N95 face masks, 500 packs of hand gloves, 500 pieces of original protective suits, 120 pieces of decontamination spray pumps.

He noted that the Police force is the biggest organizations that has a partnership with the NHIS and under the scheme, the Police has its own Maintainance organization.

“When I assumed office as the Executive Secretary of the NHIS the first place I visited was the police because the Police force had a lingering problem with NHIS that lasted for four years before my arrival and the problem was resolved two weeks after my assumption of duty and there has been a cordial relationship between the two organizations. The items we have donated, if well utilized will be a preventive measure and help reduce more cases that will have consume the health insurance fund”.

Receiving the items, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu observed that the Nigeria Police is the single largest organization in the country and that its personnel are in the frontline in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The IGP who was represented by the AIG, Federal Operations, Austin Agbolaho commended the NHIS for the gesture and solicited for more protective equipment from other organizations and good spirited individuals to ensure adequate protection of its men in the frontline.