Ogun doctors seek protection, better hazard allowance over COVID-19

• Yoruba group urges Buhari to discourage aerial fumigation
• George wants FG, Lagos to relax stay-at-home directive
• Kwara gov plans palliatives relief for 20,000 transporters 
• Extends lockdown by 14 days as Kwara gets new cases

The National Association of Government General Medical & Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP), Ogun State Chapter, has cautioned the governor over the continuous neglect of its members.

At a media briefing at Ijaye General Hospital, Abeokuta, Ogun State, under the auspices of the association’s Chairman, Dr. Durojaiye Oluwatosin and its Secretary, Dr. Ajayi Abiodun, the association distanced itself to the claim of the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, on Channels Television that frontline health workers made up health workers working day-to-day in various hospitals, including the isolation centres, had been given Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), saying that this is far from the truth.

Also, the Association of Resident Doctors, Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu, Ogun State, during its parley with the media at Abeokuta, Ogun State, urged Ogun State government under the leadership of Dapo Abiodun to protect and appreciate doctors who are putting up their lives on the line to rescue the victims of pandemic COVID-19 and remunerate all doctors working in OOUTH with 50 per cent of their consolidated basic as hazard allowance.

Its President, Dr. Mutiu Abiodun Popoola and Acting General Secretary, Dr. T.A. Osundara, also demanded that all doctors working directly in isolation/treatment centres be given additional 20 per cent of the initial 50 per cent as special risk allowance to avoid more exit of resident doctors and medical officers, particularly during this pandemic period that more hands are needed.

The association also demanded payment of Group Life Insurance by the state government to all resident doctors, medical officers and house officers in OOUTH to cover for up to 300 per cent of yearly take home in case of infirmity, permanent disability or death.

In another development, a South-West socio-political organisation, Yoruba Ronu, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call officials of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to order over planned aerial fumigation of the country as part of measures aimed at containing the spread of the pandemic.

In a statement yesterday, President of the group, Mr. Akin Malaolu said that the fumigation on Nigerians might trigger some other issues like asthma, food poisoning and their multiplier effects on COVID-19 victims.”

Also, a former Deputy National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has appealed to Buhari and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to rethink on further extension of the lockdown as the consequences were beginning to bite more than necessary on the people who have been rendered impotent economically.

However, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq yesterday flagged off the biometric registration of transporters who have been slated to receive soft loans to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown in the state.

AbdulRazaq said at least N100 million would be dispensed as a non-interest loan to 20,000 transporters after the enumeration going on across the state under the Kwara State Social Investment Programme — which components include conditional cash transfer for the aged (Owo Arugbo), market moni for petty traders and K-power, which targets the youths and unskilled segments of the society.  

Meanwhile, the governor has extended the lockdown of the state by another 14 days to flatten the curve of transmission of the virus.