Lassa fever: Resident doctors demand comprehensive life insurance for healthcare workers

The demand was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the 38^th Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) which held at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) in Zaria, Kaduna state.

The communiqué signed by the president and secretary general of the association, Dr. Ugochukwu Chinaka and Dr. Osinachukwu V. Nnadi respectively NARD also called on government to setup regional Infectious Disease Centres of Excellence across the country to ease the pressure at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH), Irrua as well as to stem the needless loss of lives to Lassa fever.

While the association appreciated the recent scale of surveillance at the Country’s land borders and airports; it noted that it has helped curb the threat of Ebola virus, regulate and report entry of suspected infectious individuals and prevent the spread of the deadly disease in Nigeria.

NARD further enjoined all healthcare workers to at all times imbibe Universal Health precautions and best hygiene practices such as regular hand washing and maintaining personal and environmental cleanliness.

The communique also noted that State Governments across the Nation have repeatedly demonstrated inability to manage tertiary healthcare. Delegates at the conference therefore unanimously called on the Federal Government to urgently take over tertiary healthcare from state governments; saying, it will not only protect the welfare of doctors in State University Teaching Hospitals (SUTHs), but will also guarantee specialist healthcare delivery to the Nigerian populace.

The resident doctors also condemned the spate of killings by armed groups in different parts of the country; demanding that government provide security for all irrespective of locations. “Security is a right of all Nigerians,” they said.

While they condemned blackmail and violent assault on doctors at their duty post, they called on the Federal Government and Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) of health facilities to ensure the security of doctors and all Staff across the country, particularly, during the ongoing JOHESU strike and beyond.