COVID-19: Health workers blow hot over Minister’s ignorance of hazard allowance

Nigeria Health workers under the aegis of Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals have described the Minister of Health claims that “he wasn’t aware of hazard allowance’, as unfortunate and disheartening.

The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire reportedly claimed that he wasn’t aware of any hazard allowance for Nigeria Health workers treating coronavirus patients across the country in a joint parliament.

Reacting in a statement on Friday, the National President of the Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals, NUAP, Dr. ObinnaOgbonna regretted, saying the Minister who is a medical doctor ought to protect the health personnel.

Ogbonna said: “The Honourable Minister, who ought to defend hazard allowance for health workers that have placed their lives and that of their family in harm’s way since the epidemic of Lassa fever through the pandemic of COVID-19, claims ignorant of the need to enhance the hazard allowance of health workers. adsbygoogle || []).push({});

“As of today, Nigeria has recorded 188 deaths from Lassa fever, yet the Honourable Minister claims  that he is unaware that health workers hazard allowance is N5,000.”

He described the statement as most unfortunate and a potent recipe for industrial unrest in the health sector.

He called on the government to implement without delay all the various incentives as announced by the finance minister on the 5th of April 2020.