NMA Educates Corps Doctors On Protection From COVID-19
The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Anambra Chapter has called on doctors and workers in the health sector to protect themselves from infection with COVID-19 and other diseases.
The NMA gave the advise during a training session for doctors undergoing the mandatory service year in Anambra at the permanent orientation camp, Mbaukwu/Umuawulu.
Dr Jide Onyekwelu, Chairman of NMA in Anambra told the corps doctors that we were in the era of community transmission of second COVID-19 where everybody anywhere was as risk of contracting the virus.
Onyekwelu said doctors were the most exposed members of the society as they dealt with undifferentiated patients whose status were not yet determined.
He said the visit was informed by the strategic roles doctors played in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 adding that the association had come to give them professional capacity support
He said there was need for them to protect themselves in camp and in the communities where they would be posted to serve.
“Medical doctors are more exposed than the general population, infected people are asked to isolate, non infected persons ate asked to stay away from infected persons but all these people go to hospital to see doctors.
“Doctors cannot abandon these people, this underscores the need for doctors to imbibe the infection prevention protocol, this is why we have come to see you, it will not be fair for any of you to contract or spread COVID-19 in Anambra,” he said
The chairman said addition to making effective use of Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs), doctors should practice physical distancing, use face mask and practice hand and respiratory hygiene.
On her part, Dr Jane Ezeonu, Chairman of NMA COVID-19 Taskforce in Anambra decried the improper use if facemasks among doctors and lectured them on how to rightly use them.
Ezeonu who is the Vice Chairman of NMA and member of Nigeria Centre for Diseass C response team in Anambra said doctors should not be discourage by the enormity of task in their hand at this time but yield themselves to meeting the demand of the society on medical workers.
Dr Dubem Awachie, urged the doctors to make impact in any community they were posted for primary assignment by rendering professionals services to the best of their ability and also network with their colleagues in the NMA for assistance when necessary.
Responding, Mr Kehinde Aremu, Coordinator of NYSC in Anambra said the visit of the NMA team was auspicious especially at this time national health emergency.
Aremu said the doctors had done well for providing mentorship for their junior colleagues adding that it was important for the straightening of capacity in the health sector.
He said there was need for doctors and health workers in hinterlands and that the NYSC would also do its best to post doctors to those areas but the state government and Health Management Board to their best to keep them there.
The NMA team later addressed the entire corps members on camp where they gave lecture on universal prevention protocol against COVID-19.
The doctors also donated PPE including surgical gloves, surgical facemask and hand sanitisers to Corps Doctors through the management of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in the state.
