By Chioma Obinna

Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, on Saturday, faulted Kogi and Rivers states’ stance on the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, advisory for the management of COVID-19 pandemic.

The doctors noted that while it would be welcome news for a ‘no-positive-case’ status in those states, every state must ensure they follow the testing guideline issued by the NCDC to ensure cases are not missed.

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In a press statement by the NMA President, Dr. Francis Faduyile, and General Secretary, Dr. Olumuyiwa Odusote, they appealed to the Federal Government to, through the Presidential Task Force, PTF, to investigate the claims of the two states  in the interest of safeguarding Nigeria’s Public Health, and to recommend appropriate remedial intervention (s) if necessary.

NMA further notes “that the Act 2018 empowers the NCDC to lead the national response in disease outbreaks and public health emergencies. It is also to coordinate diverse kinds of feedback thereof.”

While faulting Rivers and Kogi on their attitude to the pandemic, NMA worries that the NCDC has been unable to discharge these functions in some states of the Federation due to threats and in some instances, prevention from collecting and testing samples of suspected cases of COVID-19 by some states.

They stated that the pronouncements of some political leaders constitute outright interference in NCDC’s coordination of case treatment for effectiveness and learning lessons.

The doctors noted that their review on testing challenges revealed verifiable difficulties in collecting samples, transporting them in the proper media and dearth of test kits by the coordinating authorities.

They regretted that the development was coming few days after being told of the markedly increased capacity of 50,000 samples per day in 21 laboratories to ramp up testing nationwide.

Blaming the development on poor coordination, poor planning, poor forecasting and slow response to developments, they said:  “This depressing development saddens NMA because it will wipe away the efforts made so far by the government, PTF and Nigerians in the public reaction against COVID-19 pandemic.”

They urged the PTF and the NCDC to find the fastest workable solutions to fix the current challenge, including incorporating the approved private sector laboratories that already have established specimen pick up and transport modalities.

On inadequate PPEs, NMA expressed dismay that doctors and other health workers still do not have adequate PPEs.

They advised their members and other healthcare workers in the country to avoid attending to suspected or confirmed cases of COVD-19 if they do not wear the appropriate PPE in the interest of the personnel and their families, and the wider society.

NMA called for the local production of PPEs to prevent a shortage.

On the exponential rise in infection rates, the Association expressed her misgivings about the premature easing of the lockdown as the numbers of infected persons are still on the increase as well as the death toll across the country.

The spike, they posited, was clear evidence that the peak of the outbreak has not been reached, not to talk of ‘flattening the curve’.

Vanguard