Covid 19: Kwara nurses commences strike over govt’s failure to provide protective wears

Staff of the General Hospital, Ilorin under the aegis of the National Association of Nurses and Midwives on Thursday embarked on a public protest indicting the state government of exposing them to dangerous working conditions during this period of the highly contagious covid-19 pandemic.
The protesters who further complained of non supply of Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs) lemented the action of the government which highly exposed them to risk while treating suspected coronavirus patients brought to the facility.
Several calls by National Pilot to the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Raji Razak, for government response to the issue were not answered.
Also, answer to a text message to him was still being awaited at the time of filing this report.
The nurses said there is no provision of PPEs for them in the accident and emergency units adding that they worked two shifts of 10-14 hours daily without provision of call food or allowances as being provided for some other health workers.
The Auditor of the association, Funke Alo, added that designated pick-up points for workers on duty were few, which made workers go through stress before finding their way.
While accusing the government and top management of disregarding their letter where they pointed out their challenges and the risk involved in the course of their work, the protesting health workers vowed not to resume work until the issues were addressed.
She said, “The nurses are working under a risky condition in this hospital. Those at the Accident and Emergency ward are not given the PPEs to protect them against the danger of contracting coronavirus which has now crept into the state and we are not also paid hazard allowance as it is done in other states.
Recall the state chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association has directed its members not to consult or treat any patient without Personal Protective Equipment.
In a joint statement by the Chairman and Secretary of the NMA, Dr Kolade Solagberu and Dr Majeed Mohammed respectively, the association said it noted that there was inadequacy of PPEs in majority of the public and private hospitals in the state.