At the moment, as health workers continue to play their part in containing the spread of the disease, they are not protected. One of our colleagues died just yesterday from Lassa fever. This is the state of our health care institutions and that is the fate of most health care workers in the country."

Residents of the National Association of Resident Doctors in Nigeria, Dr Aliyu Sokomba, has disclosed that one of their members treating Coronavirus patients at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Edo State, has now been infected with the virus.

Speaking on a Channels Television programme on Thursday, Sokomba said, “At the moment, as health workers continue to play their part in containing the spread of the disease, they are not protected.

“One of our colleagues died just yesterday from Lassa fever. This is the state of our health care institutions and that is the fate of most health care workers in the country.

“Dr Philp Dzuana is the sixth doctor to have died of Lassa fever in the country and very little is being done to get this kind of situation under control.

“Just yesterday again, one of our doctors in ISTH, Iruaa, tested positive for the COVID-19 disease.

“What that means is that these doctors that are testing positive to various diseases are being left alone to take care of themselves.

“There is no form of life insurance for them. There is no form of compensation.

“To say the least, what these doctors benefit at the end of every month as hazard allowance is N5,000.

“So, we are worried that if victory against COVID-19, Lassa fever outbreak in the country is to be achieved, the welfare and wellbeing of doctors and other health workers who are on the frontline must be secured.

It is well.