COVID-19: Hospitals short of oxygen supply, bed spaces - CMDs

Chief Medical Directors of Federal Medical Centres, tertiary hospitals and specialty hospitals across the country weekend complained of insufficient oxygen supply, bed spaces and Personal Protective Equipment.

They listed these as part of the challenges confronting their facilities during a meeting with the Minister of State for Health, Olorunnibe Mamora.

The CMDs, who also alleged lack of support from some state governors, also complained about low rate of testing, high cost of electricity bills, increased cost of services due to high cost of materials and delay in payment of inducement allowance to health workers working in isolation centres.

They stressed the need for molecular laboratories, GeneXpert machines and more ambulance/surgical facilities for COVID-19 cases.

Responding, Mamora said health workers at isolation centres would soon receive 20 percent special inducement allowances from government.

“It is a commitment that will be paid; the delay has been due to the fact that IPPIS office wanted to clear the hazard allowances before the inducement allowances,” he said.

He said there was need for collaboration with state governments to achieve results, noting that the COVID-19 response was led by states with support from the Federal Government.

He said the last week’s attack on the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, had gone beyond the ministry and the

Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to the level of the presidency. “We are alerting the relevant authorities in terms of security beef up at the centre as well as for the entire health workers at the centre”, he stated.

The minister also said the ministry was working towards addressing dwindling Internally Generated Revenue at public hospitals nationwide.

He also advised health workers to be enlightened on infection, prevention and control in order to protect themselves against infections.