Health professionals under the aegis of Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals, NUAHP, have demanded a life insurance scheme and a special COVID-19 allowance of one hundred thousand naira.
The group requested that the allowance be paid to all health workers at the frontline of the war against the disease as presently done to other health workers globally.
This was contained in a statement jointly signed by the President, Dr. Obinna Ogbonna and General Secretary, Comrade Martin Adekunle Egbanubi, the Union.
The health professionals urged the Federal Government to commence a life insurance scheme for all health workers to further encourage them to remain devoted to save the rest of the populace from the pandemic.
NUAHP also noted that the high risk of infection faced by health workers warrants an upward review of hazard allowance for health workers from N5, 000 to N100,000.
“With the President’s pronouncement of the total lockdown of Abuja and Lagos including Ogun state, we demand that Federal Government work out modalities to ensure that health workers in those areas are provided with adequate support to enhance human logistics and other support systems.
“We also demand the provision of more Personal Protective Equipment, PPEs, and free medication for all health workers at the frontline of the war against the pandemic.”
They added that the government should pay withheld salaries of April and May 2018 to health workers in Federal Health Institutions, adding that the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) adjustment and 30th September 2017 agreement should be effected.
Further, the Union urged the federal and state governments to provide adequate isolation centers, ventilators, testing kits and other necessary equipment that would allow health workers to be fully functional nationwide.
“It is absolutely imperative for the Federal Government to encourage and motivate health workers through immediate implementation of these demands,” NUAHP stated.
The Union called for setting up of a committee comprising representatives of health workers’ unions, government, organised private sector and civil society organisations to oversee all donated equipment and funds.
