The federal government has been called upon to urgently provide testing centres for Coronavirus (Covid-19) in the South East region.
The Nigerian Medical Association, NMA and the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, NANNM made the call in Aba in Abia State.
The Chairman, Nigerian Medical Association Abia State chapter, Dr Mrs. Carol Iwuoha, emphasized the need for federal government to set up testing centres in all the geopolitical zones of the country to ease diagnosis and care for those infected by Coronavirus.
She regretted that “there is no testing centres for Covid-19 in the whole of the South East presently.
“We want to use this opportunity to call on Federal government to provide testing centres across the geopolitical zones in the country, because it will help to speed the diagnosis and also the care for the patient”.
NMA boss said that health workers in Abia state, decided to use the 2020 World tuberculosis Day to update the society as professional associations on how to prevent Coronavirus pandemic which started in Wuhan China, in December 2019 and spread to other countries including Nigeria.
Iwuoha said; “Covid -19 is transferrable to people in close contact with one another when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
“We are aware that concerted efforts are being made across the nation to address it. And the focus of the press briefing is to create awareness among the populace to let them know that there are proactive measures that can be taken to address this problem.”
According to the chairman, NMA advocates for the general hand washing with disinfectants and detergents, saying regular washing of hands with soap and water go a long way to prevent spread from person to person, as well as regular use of hand sanitizers and covering of the mouth and nose when one coughs or sneezes.
“As health professionals, we are enlightening the public to let them know that the disease exist but, however it can be prevented.”
She urged those who traveled from the affected countries to be quarantined for 14 days to watch and see if symptoms will appear.
In her speech, the Vice Chairman, National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Abia state, Dr. Lady Stella Okore, expressed the worries of the health sector in the state over Covid -19 pandemic.
Okore further explained that the sector had begun fighting tooth and nail to ensure it provides a lasting solution.
Meanwhile, Dr Okore decried the non-payment of health workers’ salaries in the state, regretting that the health sector is at risk as a result of the Covid -19 pandemic, hence “we are asking those in authority to consider it as very necessary to protect the health workers as well as pay them their salaries to enable them work effectively.
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