Editorial
Link that ancient cynicism, mainstreamed by Christ Jesus in the scriptures: “Physician, heal thyself”, to the taunts, thrown at Jesus, on the cross: “He saved others; himself he cannot save”, and you probably are resigned to the tragedy of doctors dying in the course of treating patients.
The Ebola epidemic claimed Dr. Amayo Stella Adadevoh, a medic of first rank, among other health frontline workers in the battle against Ebola. Though Dr. Adadevoh is fondly remembered, with FAMFA Oil Ltd donating N5 million to DRASA, the Health Trust named for the fallen medic, as part of FAMFA’s COVID-19 support response, it would have been better had Dr. Adedevoh survived Ebola and was still with us.
It is from that prism of life first, even among doctors, nurses and other support professionals in health emergencies, that the shrill alarms being blown by health trade groups, on the fate of health workers battling Coronavirus, must be appreciated.
The rising stats, of endangered medics, is troubling. Three doctors — two in Akwa Ibom and one in Edo — have tested positive to COVID-19, no thanks to exposure in their legitimate course of clinical duty. Another three are in quarantine, all the COVID-19 Watch stats, coming from Dr. Sukomba Aliyu, the national president of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).
About 33 others: 25 from the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), six from the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) and two from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) have been forced into self-isolation, pending tests to confirm their status, after contacts with COVID-19 patients, without adequate protective gears. At the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, two doctors and a nurse had contact with a patient who later died of the virus.
Both NARD and the Nigerian Medical Association, the doctors’ over-all trade body, have blamed the doctors’ plight on poor equipment and unsuitable protective gears, declaring that they just might be compelled to call out their members, if things don’t change for the better.
The medics have an eminently good case and the government should move fast to provide them with the right work gears. The current situation is tantamount to throwing soldiers into a hot war, without matching arms and ammo — a virtual COVID-19 suicide mission. That must not continue.
Besides, it is emerging from trends, that in health emergencies, the least considered appears those at the front lines of the epidemic or pandemic: doctors, nurses, laboratory technologists and allied professionals. That has accounted for care fatalities, as the Nigerian, Dr. Alfa Sa’adu, the 68-year old Kwara indigene, who treated COVID-19 patients at UK’s Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, but just died of the virus.
So though the influx of the Chinese medics and technical experts has been controversial, the medical protective gears that form part of their aid should be put to good use, in this regard. The government, aside from own sources, should also rally other donors to donate along this line to bridge the gap.
But away from protective gears and adequate equipment, doctors unduly exposed should have fast access to test. After that, they can be quarantined en route to treatment, if the test proves positive. The current regime of quarantine first, test later, needs to be re-adjusted. That would reduce, if not completely eliminate, cases that turn crisis during quarantine, thus leading to avoidable deaths.
Aside from operational precautions, medical workers should, as routine, be covered by group assurance during epidemics and pandemics, given the sudden spike in patients, triggering the possibility of caregiver infection. Lagos State has taken the lead on this score. Other governments should follow.
The government should treat the medics’ demand with utmost priority and speed. But as that goes on, the medical trade bodies should also tarry. Talking of medical strikes, in a season of a crippling pandemic, is rapping loudly on the door of catastrophe.
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