The Nigerian Medical Association in Rivers State has lamented the lack of Personal Protective Equipment for their members in frontline duty in the fight against COVID-19 in the state.

The association also disclosed that 22 of its members, and 60 other health workers in the state, had tested positive for coronavirus, calling on the state to urgently increase the hazard allowance for doctors under the state government employment.

The chairperson of the state’s branch of the NMA, Dr Obelebra Adebiyi, spoke in Port Harcourt on Friday with journalists on the challenges facing health workers in the state amid the pandemic.

Adebiyi regretted that despite government’s efforts at containing the spread of the virus, the state was still recording high number of cases each day.

She bemoaned that health workers in the state were made to provide PPEs for themselves, commending doctors practising in the state for maintaining good professional conduct despite the challenges.

Adebiyi said, “The number of cases in Rivers State moved from zero, in less than eight weeks, to about 450 confirmed cases with 21 deaths. This is really a worrisome situation.

“More worrisome to us are the rising cases of infection among health workers. Currently, 22 doctors and over 60 health workers have been confirmed positive and receiving treatment across different the isolation centres in the state.

“The state has also recorded death of a health worker due to coronavirus. This clearly calls for more action from the government, heads of government and private health facilities in the state, and indeed the general public.”

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COVID-19: Rivers NMA laments lack of PPEs as 22 doctors test positive