It, however, noted that the number of delta variant
infections so far recorded across the country did not warrant another lockdown
as witnessed in the wake of the pandemic last year.
The on-going strike action embarked upon since the beginning
of the month by doctors under the aegis of National Association of Resident
Doctors ((NARD) also received the attention of government, which threatened to
apply the “no work no pay” policy if the doctors failed to return to work.
Meanwhile, the cholera outbreak is reported to have affected
22 states with a total of 31,000 people infected and 816 deaths.
Executive Director/CEO of National Primary Healthcare
Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Faisal Shuiab, who spoke at the weekly
ministerial press briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team at
the State House, Abuja said in order to further combat the spread of the
dreaded Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) in the country, the federal government
has procured over 29 million single dose of Johnson and Johnson vaccines at the
cost of $298.5 million (over N122 billion).
This, he stated, was to enable the country vaccinate 70 per
cent of eligible members of the population.
According to him, the 177,600 doses of Johnson and Johnson
vaccines that arrived the country with roll wout schedule for Monday, was part
of 29 million doses the government procured that is being expected.
Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, while talking on the
third wave of Covid-19 brought about by the delta variant said, “lockdown is a
very, very last measure that countries are taking, because lockdown stifles
economic activity, restricts your own freedom and your business – corporate
business, government business, private business – all are affected.
“So, it’s not something you do easily. And, of course, when
we were compelled to have that lockdown at the beginning, we learnt a lot of
lessons. You know, at that time government provided palliatives to release the
impact of it; If you couldn’t go to market, if you couldn’t do your business.
“But this is not what government is aiming to do. No
government wants to do a lockdown. In countries, where they have had serious
threat, they have had to do what they call a precision lockdown like in the UK.
In fact, Israel the other day announced that they’re doing some lockdown, but
there’s no more generalised lockdown but precision lockdown of certain areas.
“So many countries do what they call precision lockdown so
that not everybody will be affected, only certain areas to avoid too much
damage to the economy, to social life. And we are not at the level yet where we
are feeling that threat to do any lockdown. And as I speak to you now, there
are several countries that are on one kind of lockdown or the other. If my
recollection is correct, at least six or seven countries are doing one form of
lockdown or the other. We do not have that on the table right.”
The minister also used the forum to appeal to striking
doctors, under the auspices of National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD),
saying embarking on an industrial action in the mid of the third wave of
Covid-19 pandemic with the arrival of Delta variant, cholera outbreak in 22
states and Marburg virus (similar to Ebola) outbreak was not only dangerous but
unconscionable.
According to him, the federal government would not hesitate
to apply the International Labour Organisation’s policy of “No Work, No Pay”,
if the doctors insisted on carrying on with the strike, stressing that they
would not be paid from tax payers money for doing nothing.
He also denied threatening to sack resident doctors, who
withdrew their services nationwide since August 2 over alleged poor conditions
of service, explaining that all the engagements and consultations so far have
been to appeal to them to call off the strike.
Further on the doctors’ strike, Ehanire said it was not a
good time for doctors to go on strike.
He stated, “We’re having a strike for the third time this
year. That is not good. We have appealed to them. We have been having long
meetings with young doctors to tell them that look, we have a certain
responsibility to our country.
“Every country that has difficult situation at this time
should understand that responsibility is on all of us if you have any problem,
any grudge let’s talk about it. If we can’t solve it now, let’s continue
talking about it until we fine solution but don’t drop work.
“I think Nigeria is probably the only country in the world
today where doctors are dropping work in the middle of a threat to the whole
country. So, that’s what we have advised. There has been no threat. Nobody
threatened anything. We are just appealing. All of us are doctors; all of us
went through the same residency.
“We’re saying this is not the time; let’s continue to talk
about it. Do not put people’s lives at risk. That’s what the Minister of Labour
has been saying, that is what the minister of Health has been saying. Nobody
has threatened anybody with anything.”
When reminded of the threats of no work no pay, the minister
said, “Yes, but that’s a standard thing. That’s International Labour
Organisation (ILO) recommendation that if you did not work, then why will you
take…your salary comes from taxpayers money.
“So, if you did not work, why should you be paid, because if
that is so you can be encouraged to stay home for six months and your salary is
running from public funds, from taxpayers money, when you have not given the
community any service?
“So, that no work, no pay is not just the government
regulation, it is specifically stated in International Labour Organisation that
if you do not work, if you have not given any service, you can’t expect
regulation, because you can’t go to market and buy something for nothing. You
must put down something, you must put down work.
“You cannot go to market and take goods without paying. So,
if you work, you will be paid. And we are strongly in support of government
meeting its obligations to pay what is agreed. We have said that we shall push
for that, you know, working with the salaries and wages commission, the head of
service, we are working to support that including paying all the insurance
dues.
“But we cannot go against what the ILO says: pay people that
did not go to work. I mean, I think before God and man, you can defend that
position, but there is no question of threats. These young doctors are
professionals, not just professionals, they are young people, who we need to
also mentor and treat well, to the best of all our capacity here.
“So, the strike is not what we want now. We would like to
again, use this platform to ask doctors to return to work, let us negotiate. We
can do that among us. There are many areas the Ministry of Health supports
them. But part of the problem we have is that some of the grudges that they
have, or let us say the demands are with state governments not the federal
government. So, if the state government has not paid some people salary, why go
on nationwide strike?
“We say if you want to talk to that state, I will support
you and appeal to the state. Among the 12 original demands that they made,
seven were state related. They’re not federal, federal government cannot compel
a state to pay you a certain salary that you want. But the ones that are
concerning us at federal level, many of them are not even exactly the Ministry
of Health either.
“But we support them and say strike is not a good tool to
use. And especially when the health of the country is threatened, when people
will come out and volunteer in other countries to work. That is not the time to
withdraw your own service. And I think again, we’ll continue to appeal to young
doctors not to use strike as a tool, especially, at a time of national need
that will not rest well on your conscience.”
On her part, Director General of National Agency For Food
Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, explained
that recent delays associated with the application of moderna vaccines donated
by the United States was as a result of laboratory testing, where some
insignificant quantities had bar-coding errors, which had to be sorted.
According to her, NAFDAC has been working round the clock to
resolve the slight hitches, which had nothing to do with the vaccine quality, adding
that in the previous vaccination exercises, 12,000 Nigerians reported mild side
effects.
On his part, the Director General of National Centre for
Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, said recent outbreak of cholera
was now in 22 states of the federation, with over 31,000 people already
infected and 816 deaths.
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