NMA urges doctors to handle patients, cases with renewed confidence
Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Anambra chapter has urged health workers to feel free to handle patients with renewed confidence and vigour as COVID-19 was not a death sentence.
Dr Jide Onyekwelu, Chairman of NMA Anambra chapter said this at the end of a two-day training on Infection Prevention and Control organised for doctors in the state.
The training which had 25 participants from the five NMA zones in the state was organised by NMA in the state in conjunction with Nigeria Center for Disease Control and International Committee of Red Cross.
Onyekwelu said the training would be cascaded to the zones such that with the shortest time possible, all health workers in every health care facility would have been trained on infectious disease prevention.
He said the association was alarmed by the rate of infection among doctors who were going about their normal duties of providing healthcare to the people and we felt it is very unfortunate that such thing should happen.
The chairman said mortality rate of covid-19 was still about two per cent which supported the fact that it was not a death sentence.
“COVID-19 is highly infectious but it is not deadly, a doctor should not infect his family or his patients which is what is happening with the novel virus.
“We have removed the drama and stigma associated with covid-19, doctors should be free to treat patients and anyone with any form of ailments should feel free to go to hospital.
“We are now better equipped and better infirmed on how we can stem the tide of infection among doctors and members of the public, our target is to stepdown this training to all doctors, health worker and facilities in the state,” he said.
Some participants at the training described it as well thought out and quite informative.
Dr Dubem Awachie one of the trainees from Nnewi zone said some of the lessons were on case diagnosis, patient handling, sample handling and safe burials for those who died from the disease.
Awachie said it was not necessary to have all components of Personal Perspective Equipment that were need for every patient as the doctors could still render his services with proper use of relevant ones.
“Part of the training was to help the health worker identify the necessary PPE for any particular case,” he said.
Also speaking, Dr Silva Ezievuo, Chairman of Association of General and Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGMPN) lauded the initiative had enriched the trainees with new knowledge of what they could do to help themselves and the public.
Ezievuo said hand hygiene remained a cardinal safety measure and argued that there was no need a doctor should not handle any suspected case of COVID-19 provided they had the knowledge of basic infection prevention.
He urged the NMA to ensure that the training goes down to the zones and facilities assuring that he was ready to replicate the training in Onitsha which be represented.
In her, remark, Dr Jane Ezeonu Chairman of NMA covid-19 taskforce in Anambra said second round of training which would take place at the zonal levels would commence next week.
Ezeonu, a Public Health Physical with Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) said the 25 trainer doctors were selected five each from Nnewi, Onitsha, Aguata, Ihiala, and Awka with the mandate to train their colleagues in their respective zones.
