Page 36 About 75 health workers at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Edo State, have been asked to immediately go into self-isolation, after coming in contact with persons infected with the coronavirus.
The health workers include Doctors, Nurses, and Radiographers.
They are to be in isolation for 14 days.
Edo State currently has 11 confirmed cases of Covid-19, with 1 death.
In a statement, the Public Relations Officer of the Hospital, Dr. Benedicta Ehanire, said that the staff affected by this directive are to work from home.
It added: “For the avoidance of doubt, all staff on essential services, such as healthcare, security, utilities, including water and electricity, as well as fire service, are not affected by this directive, but are to continue to perform their invaluable roles during this period.”
Sources at the Hospital said that the facility was thrown into confusion, when tests done for three patients who previously tested negative for the virus, came back positive.
The sources stated that the Hospital traced not less than 30 health workers, who came in contact with the persons infected, but asked 75 persons to observe self-isolation, while the Hospital remains shut for an additional two weeks, until April 16, 2020.
Workers at the Hospital, bemoaned that the State is not prepared to fight the virus, as no Medical equipment is put in place by the State Government to combat the outbreak of the virus.
The health workers urged the government to take immediate action, by doing the needful, to make them carry out their work without fear of contracting the virus.
“We call on well-meaning individuals and organisations around the world, to help support the nurses at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital with appropriate PPEs, as it will go a long way in improving the efficiency of the service they render to their patients during this period.
“The Hospital has some PPEs, but they have been designated for healthcare workers at the Isolation Unit of the Teaching Hospital.
“Please, help the Nurses to help the patients, do not forget that there are non-coronavirus infected patients in the Hospital. We value the lives of our Nurses.
“They have families, and they should be protected by all. Nurses are ready to work, but with adequate protection”, the health workers pleaded.
The health workers also used the opportunity to ask the government for their withheld salaries, as it would serve as an added incentive to work, as the world battles the coronavirus.
