Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state has announced a N15,000 daily allowance to medical consultants who volunteer to work at isolation centres.
Sokoto health commissioner Ali Inname, who also chairs the state’s taskforce on Covid-19 said over 10,000 doctors, nurses and other medical officers expressed interest to join the volunteer group.
Inaugurating the first batch of 1000 volunteers, Governor Tambuwal also announced that consultant who work outside the isolation centres would get N12,500 daily.
Other medical officers, nurses and labourer workers at the centres get a 50% increment in their daily allowances while their colleagues drafted to border areas get a 25% increment.
Among the 1000 volunteers were 44 doctors, 106 nurses, 30 medical laboratory scientists, 15 pharmacists, environmental health workers and some private individuals.
The Governor assured that the government would provide all the necessary equipment and safety kits at the centres.
Tambuwal further disclosed plan to convert the two hotels owned by the state government to isolation centres when the need arises.
The inauguration of the volunteer team is a climax of more than two weeks persistent appeals made by the governor that retired health workers willing to get re-engaged should come forward not only because there was need to end the spread of COVID-19 but also to improve the healthcare system in the state.