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COVID-19: NYSC kicks over Corps members working under unsafe conditions

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By OBAJI AKPET 

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has moved to protect corps members currently working under perceived unsafe conditions at various health facilities across Nigeria.

NYSC said that it will also be moving to question medical authorities at the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi-Abuja for planning to punish some of its members who are currently facing a disciplinary panel for reasons still unclear as at press time.

It has earlier been reported  that a corps member; Miracle Jerry was forced to replace medical lab scientists at a medical centre after the latter downed tools in protest of inadequate  Personal Protective Equipment (PPE ) in their unit.

According to reports, the corps lab scientist working in the chemical pathology unit of the medical Centre was forced that night to work alone under the same conditions the agitating lab scientists had left.

The dissident medical practitioners had abandoned work that day after their request for adequate PPE were not met, which the insisted to be provided as fear mounted after a patient suspected to be COVID-19 positive was alleged to have died in their hospital.

Recall that recently Nigeria’s health minister had declared that over 40 health workers in Nigeria have tested positive of the novel coronavirus making medical practitioners the most exposed to the fight against the spread of the virus in Nigeria. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says had chronicled more than 1200 COVID-19 positive cases across the country with Lagos and Abuja as the worst hit.

Reacting to the ordeal the corps members who were reported to be working under Hajia Walid Sidique Isa, NYSC state coordinator of FCT told our reporter on the phone that NYSC was moving to look into the condition Miracle was left to work alone that night faced, even as she frowned at the medical centre’s action.

“Inasmuch as the corps members are serving the nation, they should not be exposed to dangers like this” adding that there was a directive from the head office on medical personnel to be well protected before they could attend to any patient.

Hajia Isa added that apart from the routine text messages NYSC sends to remind its corps members at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19 across the country to stay safe, some working under unsafe conditions had the discretion to back out.

Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim, NYSC Director-General could not be reached for comments as at press time neither did the Director of Press and Public Relations, Adenike Adeyemi could be reached as all calls to her for two days were not taken.

 As at press time, it was not clear what exact actions NYSC was going to take if the scheme finds the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi-Abuja wanting of forcing corps members to work under unhealthy conditions.

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