The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Lagos State Branch has urged the Federal and state governments to be transparent in all COVID-19 dealings, spending, procurement and distribution, saying it was the way to go if rapid progress would be achieved in the fight against coronavirus in the country this year. Chairman, Infectious Disease Committee, NMA, Lagos Branch, Dr. Japheth Olugbogi who made the call as part of projections to move the health sector forward in 2021 in the area of COVID-19, urged governments at all level to continue to do more of health awareness, prepare documentaries and show videos of certain part of isolation centers as evidences of coronavirus in the country. He said governments also needed to empower medical directors, chief medical directors of general hospitals and teaching hospitals and also equip hospitals and coronavirus isolation centers.
Similarly, governments must provide consumable commodities that care providers need to carry out their duties and also provide personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers so that they can carry out their duties when due. Olugbogi said, “We can also need to increase capacity for testing to encourage the citizens to visit COVID- 19 testing centers. I know that there are too many laboratories that can carry out the testing but people are not visiting these centers for one reason or the other.
“They need to encourage private persons to visit these laboratories, visit the sample collection centers and we don’t have to wait till people become ill before we test those who want to test.” He said governments should encourage persons who want to test so that we can also subsidise the tests which are being done at private laboratories so that they can be less expensive. He said, “We should not assume everyone who wants to travel should be able to afford the test being done at N50,400.
If we subside it some citizens who don’t want to go to the public centers can visit the private labs. “Also, we need to open the isolation centers as there are several people receiving home care at home who probably need to be at the isolation centers.
“We need the isolation centers, hence, governments should equip them with the necessary commodities and appropriate staff so that people can get care when the need arises. “We also need to increase the hazard allowance being paid to medical workers. We also need to pay on time in order to motivate them so that they can give their best. “We also need to enforce people wearing face masks in public places.”