Coronavirus: Easing lock down could increase new cases, says MHWUN

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

The Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) has warned that the easing of the lockdown by government will bring about dramatic increase in the number of new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the country.
The association added that the relaxation of the lockdown will reduce the hardship being faced by millions of ordinary Nigerians.
A statement issued yesterday by Biobelemoye Josiah, National President, and Silas G. Adamu, Secretary General, said, “Our fear is premised on the experience of other countries where after the lockdown was relaxed, the spread of the disease was unimaginable.
“While we commend the efforts of the federal government for the steps so far taken in the fight against the disease, we call for caution and stringent measures to ensure that the decision to ease the lock down does not take us back to level zero where new cases will spring up to the extent that the hitherto weak, and further weakened health system and ill-motivated health workers will be overwhelmed. This certainly will be disastrous.”
MHWUN therefore, advised the federal and states governments to make available more testing (including rapid test kits) and isolation centres to accommodate more people in case the unwanted happens.
“They (governments) also need to provide large quantities of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other consumables to health workers at all levels to enable them do their work professionally. This is important because the health worker is not on a “kamikaze” mission, hence must be alive and healthy before he/she can save other lives.
“Our members at all levels need to be carried along and be involved in all decision making processes so that they can make input as well as feedback to members in real time.
“The governments at all levels must also find ways of motivating health workers so that they can put in their very best.”