Delta COVID 19 frontline health workers threatens to shutdown Isolation Centres over unpaid allowances

By Shedrack Onitsha,

Unless urgent step is taken by the governor of Delta State, Sen. Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, COVID-19 frontline health workers in the state may short down COVID-19 Isolation Centres over unpaid allowances.

Doctors, Nurses and other Health Workers has threatened to shutdown COVID-19 Isolation Centres in the state following alleged attempts by some officials of the state Ministry of Health who wants to defraud them on the proposed allowance to the COVID-19 frontline health workers

Recall that the Delta State COVID 19 frontline Doctors, Nurses and other health workers attending to COVID 19 patients since the first suspected case in 27th March 2020, but sadly have not been paid an allowance for putting their life on the line.

The health workers who immediately move into actions in the treatment of COVID-19 patients expressed their sadness over the manner which some agents of the Ministry of Health are treating them with their proposed reward.

A senior medical doctor who spoke to ADVOCATE in confidence confirmed the workers’ threat, said they were disappointed at the move by the State Ministry of Health to short change the Delta State COVID-19 frontline health workers of their allowances.

According to him, we are using this medium to issue a warning to the Coordinators of the Delta State Government COVID 19 Team, the workers express disappointment with the hidden and fraud agenda of staff of the Ministry of Health and her cohorts.

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“Therefore, the health workers wish to notify the Governor of this planned action that may lead to severe damage to the State Health COVID 19 response.

“The Delta state COVID 19 frontline health workers appeal to His Excellency, Sen. Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa to be watchful enough in order to see the evil acts orchestrated by some of his team members.

The Health workers urged Governor of the State, whom they described as a man of integrity and have conducted the fight against COVID-19 pandemic in the state transparently, to urgent investigate the officials of the State Ministry of Health and COVID-19 Team coordinators before they plug the state health system into crisis.

An attempt by ADVOCATE to get a reaction from the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Mordi Ononye, a member of the Delta State COVID-19 response Team was unsuccessful as repeated calls to his mobile line was not answered and text message was not also replied as at the time of filing this report.