Health workers serving with the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Lokoja, Kogi State, have threatened to withdraw their services unless urgent measures are taken to safeguard them against coronavarius disease.
The chairman, Joint Health Sector Union, JOHESU, Comrade Obajemu Samuel, handed the warning when he led other health workers unions from the Centre on a visit to the leadership of the organized labour in the State on Monday in Lokoja.
He informed the NLC leadership that health workers at the FMC were daily exposed to the danger of contracting the dreaded disease since there was no provision for testing of patients to know their status.
He noted that the workers are made more vulnerable due to non availability of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to safeguard them from infection.
According to him, doctors and other health workers at the centre are currently working at the risk to their lives and that of their families.
He warned that if nothing is done quickly by the government and the management of FMC, their members may be forced to withdraw their services or turn patients away from the center.
The union, therefore, called on leadership of the organized labour to wade into the matter before it gets out of hand.
Responding, the chairman of NLC in State, Comrade Onuh Edoka expressed gratitude to the unions and workers at the FMC for the selfless services they are rendering to the people of the State.
The union leader promised to communicate their concerns to the appropriate quarters in the state, while urging them to be patient while the leadership explores peaceful means of resolving the grievances.
The NLC chairman said the masses would be at the receiving end should the unions withdraw their services at this critical moment of national emergency.
Kogi State has no testing centre with the governor, Yahaya Bello saying there was no case of the coronavirus in the state.
