Rising from an Emergency General Meeting held on Sunday July 5, 2020, the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) Cross River State branch has declared a total and indefinite strike over the poor management of COVID-19 in the state by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Cross River State Government.

In a statement signed by the State NMA Chairman, Dr. Agam E. Ayuk, and Secretary, Dr Ezoke Epoke, the association identified instances of poor management of COVID-19 and attempts to suppress cases of COVID-19 in the state and demanded for explanations from both the state government and the NCDC.

According to the statement, the Association “demands explanation from NCDC, why, the five (5) COVID-19 confirmed cases from University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) carried out at the NCDC accredited Molecular Laboratory at Alex Ekwueme University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State have not reflected in the daily situation report of NCDC long after results had been transmitted to UCTH since July 1, 2020”

They also demanded explanation from the NCDC on “why the epidemiology code numbers have to be generated by Cross River State Ministry of Health before results of samples sent by UCTH to an NCDC approved Molecular Laboratory can be published by NCDC, despite having approved UCTH as an independent Test Centre”.

The statement went further to allege that the “Cross River State Government have abdicated her responsibility of contact tracing, treatment and care for the five (5) confirmed cases which may not be unconnected with the delay in publication of the results by NCDC”

They demanded the immediate activation of Adiabo Isolation Centre and commencement of surveillance and contact tracing in the State.

They claim the poor management of COVID-19 in the state has put the health workers and general public in a “precarious public health and safety situation”

The Association passed a VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE on the Honorable Commissioner for Health – Dr. Betta Edu, and further referred her to the NMA National Disciplinary Committee and Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) for the unethical handling of COVID-19 testing in the State.

By this action, the private and public hospitals in Cross River State have been effectively shut-down.

https://www.yourhealthng.com.ng/2020/07/05/breaking-news-nma-cross-river-state-embark-on-strike-over-management-of-covid-19/

Nawa!

Openbusiness3:
Nawa!

Very unfortunate development