NMA predicts Nigeria's fate if governors take over Covid-19 battle

The Nigerian Medical Association has predicted the fate of Nigeria if governors are allowed to take over the battle against COVID-19.

They revealed that Nigeria will be finished if such happens in the country.

The President of NMA, Prof. Innocent Ujah, said this on Monday during an interview on Sunrise Daily programme of Channels Television.

He said that President Muhammadu Buhari should not delegate such powers to the state governors “because apart from Lagos and maybe one or two other states, the commitment is, to say the least, very disappointing.

“I can say that because I’m a clinician myself. I believe that the president should please not devolve those powers. This is an emergency.

Coordination is very important and the coordination should be central, should be from a point because once you do that, Nigerians will be finished. And we pray that he doesn’t do that.”

He urged the Federal government to set up a research team to regularly evaluate the country’s response to COVID-19.

He said that doing this was important to enable the country to ascertain what was working or not, making the necessary impact in its COVID -19 response.

He said it was also important to include a research team in the composition of the Presidential Task force on COVID-19. He said: 

“As a researcher, I think we should have a strong research team to be part of PTF. I’m not aware that the PTF has a research team and we must evaluate and monitor what we do.

We need a research team that’ll monitor regularly what we’re doing otherwise, we will be groping in the dark. The response must be evaluated by the research team.

If you say we should wear a face mask, what is the percentage of Nigerians wearing masks in Abuja? You say social distancing, that is completely out. We don’t have social distancing as far as I’m concerned.”

NMA, resident doctors attack Abiodun over strike comment

On Monday, the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Ogun State chapter and the South-West caucus of the Association of Resident Doctors attacked the state governor, Dapo Abiodun, for berating doctors at the Olabisi Onabanjo Teaching Hospital, Sagamu.

The NMA said it was disappointed and ashamed of the governor for calling its members irresponsible for demanding their rights.

The NARD South-West stated its position in a statement by its leader, Dr Oiwoh Sebastine, to journalists in Abeokuta on Monday.

The NARD caucus comprising members in Ogun, Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states said the doctors’ demand was in line with international best practices needed for the care of the entire populace.

Abiodun was reported to have described the strike embarked upon by the Resident Doctors at the OOUTH, Sagamu, as irresponsible and politically motivated.

But the NMA on Monday expressed disappointment over the governor’s comment.

The NMA chairman, Ismail Lawal, said he was ashamed over the comment made by the governor.

He lamented that political leaders were fond of making doctors to beg for their rights. Lawal said, 

“I am ashamed and disappointed. It implies that we are already grooming a constituted authority in the state. At our level, I believe that any doctor who passed through medical school for a minimum of six years to get NBBS, that person should have something to offer.

It is unbecoming of political officers to see your asking for your rights as if they are doing you a favour.”

The NMA chairman urged the governor to implement the recommendations of a committee set up to look into the crisis at the OOUTH.

The NARD in its statement stated that without going pedestrian, the demand of the Ogun State doctors was not misplaced especially as the time of COVID-19 pandemic with Ogun State being one of the epicentres in Nigeria.

It added, “Surprisingly, owing to the outmost respect our members have for the seat of power in the state, our members had expected that His  Excellency, the governor of Ogun State will carefully holistically and needed pragmatism look into the demands devoid of any emotional blackmail

But the use of unprintable words by the governor is in the least unbefitting and unacceptable from the occupant of that exalted seat.’’

COVID-19 : NMA calls on Buhari to intervene in Kogi

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has urged the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to intervene in the refusal of the Kogi State Government to accept the positive test results of coronavirus patients in the State.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control had on Wednesday confirmed two COVID-19 cases in the state.

One of the patients, who is reportedly a popular community and religious leader, was referred from the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja and diagnosed with the virus at the National Hospital, Abuja.

But the Kogi State Government rejected the result.

The NMA President, Dr Francis Faduyile, and Secretary General, Dr Odusote Olumuyiwa, in a statement on Friday, said the association was “incredibly disturbed” by the response of the Kogi State Government.

The NMA lamented that the state Commissioner for Information did not only describe the process of arriving at the diagnosis as fraudulent, but allegedly “went on to smear the front-line health workers and the NCDC on live national television.” It said, 

“His use of profane words is capable of demoralising the exemplary gold-winning health workers and the untiring NCDC, which possibly can lead to a national catastrophe. The implied consequences of these unbecoming actions are what the NMA condemns.

The association, therefore, appeals to President Muhammadu Buhari to caution the state governor and his officials immediately.”

Lagos Doctors call off strike

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has asked its members in Lagos to return to work with effect from Thursday, May 21, 2020.

The NMA had asked its members to down tools following alleged police harassment of doctors as they commuted to and from work during a night curfew.

The curfew had been put in place to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. However, the NMA had said the curfew had left doctors confused because they were being harassed by police during curfew hours even though they should be exempt as ‘essential workers.’

That has now been cleared up after the police issued a statement late Wednesday.

The union of doctors says it has now received assurances that healthcare workers would be exempt from the curfew and would be allowed to move freely.

In a statement, the NMA Lagos branch said the industrial action “is hereby reversed and our members are hereby directed to resume work from 6 p.m. today”.

Lagos State doctors begin indefinite strike over police harassment

The Nigerian Medical Association in Lagos has directed its members to immediately proceed on an indefinite sit-at-home strike starting from 6.00p.m on Wednesday.

The NMA leaders said that their decision was as a result of the conflicting directives by the state government and law enforcement agents on the status of essential workers, including doctors and other health workers.

The doctors also said that their action was necessitated following incessant harassment of healthcare workers in Lagos by the security agents.

“The Lagos State Branch of the NMA has resolved that it is presently unsafe for its members to continue to provide healthcare services under the present confused arrangement.

We resolve that all doctors under the auspices of the Nigerian Medical Association in Lagos to proceed on a sit-at-home starting from 6.00p.m today, May 20, indefinitely.

Until such time when the state government and the Commissioner of Police, are clear on how they wish to operationalise the lockdown/restriction of ongoing lockdown/movement restrictions, (but) the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Mr. Hakeem Odumosu, has been issuing conflicting directives on social and mainstream media to the effect that essential workers, including doctors and other health workers, are NOT exempted.”