A Senior Registrar at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Department of Internal Medicine, Dr Ukam Edadi, has decried the rise in the number of COVID-19 infections and deaths in the state.
In a chat with our correspondent in Calabar, Dr Edadi said the level of preparedness by both national and sub national governments in Nigeria should have been far above the present rhetoric.
“Even the COVID-19 inducement allowances for the Frontline health workers for over four months have not been paid by the Federal government.
“There is a need for the isolation centres across the country to be well equipped with the right equipment necessary for intensive Care such as ventilators, as well as the right personal protective equipment for the front line health workers.
“The health workers should be motivated by way of prompt payment of the COVID-19 inducement allowances as well as adequate life insurance coverage.
“This is because, in one week in December, 2020 alone, over twenty medical Doctors working as Frontline workers died as a result of COVID-19 pandemic and the number keeps increasing”
The Senior Registrar said there was need to review the hazard allowance of the health workers especially the medical Doctors from the present N5000 to over N200,000.
“Nigeria is experiencing the worst brain drain of medical doctors due to poor remuneration and lack of enabling working environment. Our health system is in a bad state, yet there is no political will to revamp the health system.
“Even the health budget is far below the UN/WHO approved 15 per cent of national budget. Over 99 per cent of health expenditure in Nigeria is out of pocket and this is catastrophic.
“Nigeria at present is not fully prepared for the procurement of the internationally approved vaccines. Today, about one in every eight Israelis have been vaccinated against COVID-19 virus”, he revealed.