As part of measures to improve the welfare of health workers in the frontline on the fight against COVID-19, the Delta State Government after due negotiations with the relevant health workers’ unions has commenced payment of appropriate allowances to the health workers.
The Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mordi Ononye, made this known on Monday in Asaba during the press briefing on the State’s COVID-19 response.
He revealed that the State Government has also taken life insurance cover for 2,557 health workers to motivate them and in addition has provided for the welfare of Health workers through its provision of needed Personal Protective Equipment.
Dr. Ononye used the medium to appeal to Deltans and residents alike to rise against stigmatization of COVID-19 positive persons, as this has a very negative impact on the willingness of people to attend hospitals for care or show up for testing.
He stated that persons with respiratory symptoms or close contacts shy away from tests while some end up presenting late and this has accounted for the seemingly high proportion of deaths.
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He blamed the rising rate of COVID-19 deaths to late presentation of patients to the hospital and, therefore, advised against self-medication.
He also urged the general public to observe all the publicized prevention protocols such as hand and respiratory hygiene, use of face masks, and social/physical distancing.
On his part, the State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, said every Deltan or resident alike has the responsibility to enforce the social/physical distancing directives.
He said that the call for people to adhere to preventive measures as spelt out by the relevant authorities is for our personal good and not doing government a favour.
Mr. Aniagwu added that there is enough personal protective equipment for medical personnel who attend to patients at the holding and treatment isolation centers and that these are not to be worn as part of daily clothing.
