The Nurses in one of the isolation centers in Jos University Teaching Hospital, JUTH, on Monday the 25th May 2020, have literally abandoned Nineteen COVID-19 patients under their care.
This was confirmed by the Chairman of the National Association Of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, JUTH Branch, Mrs.Mercy Lenka, as she justified the action of the Nurses,she added that the members of the Association undertook that action in order to save their lives and prevent others from contracting the disease.
According to Lenka, the Nurses treating the COVID-19 patients, are not suppose to go back to their families after coming in contact with the patients, therefore, the Government are suppose to provide a hotel or any other accomodation for the health workers while working which after then, they remain there for 14 days, while samples will be collected, which must be confirmed negative before they should reintegrate with their families, but the government have failed to do so Healthforbes Media reporting.
Mrs.Lenka said; “Yes, we have asked our members to withdraw their services at the JUTH isolation center. Ideally, when you are involved in the treatment of confirmed cases of COVID-19, you are not supposed to go back home and mingle with your family members or anyone else.
“You are supposed to go to a hotel or any other accommodation that the management, the state or federal government would have made provision for. You go there and stay while doing your work. When you are done, you are expected to stay back for two weeks and samples would be taken which must be confirmed negative before you will be allowed to go back to your family members.
“This has never been provided for our members in JUTH. Besides, nobody has given any stipend, incentive, or hazard allowance to the nurses who have been risking their lives while treating the patients. Already, one of the nurses tested positive for the diseases about two days ago, and yet, they did not see the need to attend to our demands because they still allow the nurses to go back home after work.
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“We have done everything to get the attention of the government in addressing these issues without success. Considering the danger this practice poses to the lives of the nurses, their families, and other individuals, we decided to ask them to withdraw their services until these issues are addressed.”
However,in a reaction by the State Government, condemned the action of the nurses.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr.Ninkong Lar Ndam, said that the concerns of the Nurses were been addressed by the State Government, he wondered why they would still withdraw their services from the critically sick patients.
“Why would you leave somebody that is very sick as a nurse. If they have issues, they would have discussed it with us. There was no much negotiation and they went ahead to withdraw their services because as a government, we have not neglected anybody in Plateau State in addressing the COVID-19 challenge.
“As a matter of fact, we have been working very hard to ensure that we provide them with accommodation which they complained about. In fact, over the weekend, we got accommodation for them at the NDLEA camp near Rikkos but we have to decontaminate the place and make the necessary repairs before they can move in and we are hoping that by tomorrow, it should be ready for use. Meanwhile, we have mobilized doctors to the isolation centre to see how we will continue to attend to the patients”the commissioner said.
By Dung Donald Malou