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The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), on Wednesday, lamented the maltreatment of its members on essential duties by security personnel and has directed doctors to leave all official duty and close when it is exactly 4 pm daily.
The directive, according to the President of NMA, Dr Francis Faduyile, is to stop the doctors from working late and reduce the embarrassment they face in the process of carrying out their lawful duties. “That with effect from today, Wednesday, May 20th 2020, all medical and dental practitioners should henceforth work between the hours of 8.00 am and 4.00 pm, to give enough time for them to return back home,” the NMA president said.
WHO records highest single-day global increase of COVID-19 cases
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The World Health Organization said Wednesday it had registered a new daily record number of COVID-19 cases as it quickly neared the “tragic milestone” of five million total infections. The UN agency’s chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that on Tuesday, there were “106,000 cases reported to WHO — the most in a single day since the outbreak began” in December.
The WHO was also getting to grips with US President Donald Trump’s reform ultimatum, giving the organisation 30 days to overhaul its operations otherwise its biggest contributor would freeze its funding
The Nigerian Medical Association has suspended its “sit-at-home” in Lagos State, The suspension of the action came barely 24 hours after the association had asked its members to embark on an indefinite “sit-at-home” over alleged harassment by security agents in the state.
Lagos State has intensified home treatment for coronavirus patients with mild symptoms as positive cases continue to rise. Wednesday night, out of the 284 new cases announced by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the state recorded 199.
Ten other states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) recorded as follows: Rivers (26); Oyo (19); eight each in FCT and Borno; Plateau (seven); Jigawa (six); Kano (five); Abia (two) and one each in Ekiti, Delta, Kwara and Taraba. The NCDC put the national tally at 6,677, discharged patients at 1840 and the recorded deaths at 200.
Forty out of the fifty doctors and health workers in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital Kano (AKTH) have been discharged having recovered from coronavirus.
The Chief Medical Director, Professor Abdurrahman Abba Sheshe, revealed this while receiving donation of some hospital consumables and food items from Orange Drugs Limited, one of the supplier of drugs to hospitals.
Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, the Director-General, World Health Organisation (WHO), says the agency will use every tool at its disposal to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Ghebreyesus said this at the closing of two-day virtual World Health Assembly in Geneva.
In his speech posted on the WHO website, Ghebreyesus said some of the recommendations from the assembly would be shared and be implemented. “WHO’s focus now is fighting the pandemic with every tool at its disposal. “Our focus is on saving lives. At the end of the day, what matters is life.
Nigeria has recorded 284 new cases of COVID-19, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced. NCDC, on its verified twitter handle on Wednesday night, said, “199 – Lagos, 26 – Rivers, 19 – Oyo, 8 – FCT, 8 – Borno, 7 – Plateau, 6 – Jigawa, 5 – Kano, 2 – Abia, 1 – Ekiti, 1 – Delta, 1 – Kwara, 1 – Taraba”
Dr Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organisation (WHO), Regional Director for Africa, says African Region is on the verge of being certified free of wild poliovirus. Moeti disclosed this on Tuesday at the ongoing virtual World Health Assembly 2020 in Geneva.
This is the first time the assembly, which is WHO’s main governing body, will convene virtually since the pandemic began. According to her, the development is a major public health milestone in Africa. The regional director, however, called for continued support to make healthcare a reality for every African.
The Chairman of the Kogi State branch of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Dr Kabir Zubair has said that testing for the Coronavirus disease remains a challenge in the state.
The state NMA chairman stated this on Thursday, in a reaction to the report by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), that only one testing sample has so far been sent in for checking by Kogi. The test result returned negative.
Reps tackle health minister over explanation on Chinese doctors
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The House of Representatives has picked holes in the explanations by the Federal Government on the status of the 15 Chinese doctors and health workers who came into Nigeria on April 8, 2020, with the claim of coming to assist the government in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the plenary on Tuesday, the House resolved that the Minister of Health, Prof. Osagie Ehanire, should give the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, a “full status report” on the expatriates. 1tcA member, Mr Dachung Bagos, had moved a motion to demand a probe into the activities of the Chinese medical personnel, especially due to the conflicting information from officials of the Federal Government.
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COVID-19: Despite Pause Of Trial By WHO, Nigeria To Continue Chloroquine Trial
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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has said it would continue the trial of Hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 treatment despite the announcement of a temporary pause by the World Health Organisation.
WHO had on Monday cited safety concerns for the temporary pause of the trial of Hydrochloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Speaking on the continuation of the trial in Nigeria, Director-General of NAFDAC, Mojisola Adeyeye, who spoke during an interview on Television Continental on Tuesday, said the drug had proven to be effective for mild case COVID-19 patients.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has approved N10 billion aggregate loan request by pharmaceuticals and other health care organizations from its earlier announced N100 billion facility to enable the entities produce items to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
The apex bank Director, Corporate Communications, Mr. Isaac Okorafor, confirmed that “on the loan component about N10bn worth of applications have already been approved and many more are being processed.”
Nigeria records 389 new cases of COVID-19, highest daily figure ever, NCDC says
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Nigeria on Wednesday reported 389 new confirmed new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total of confirmed infections in the country to 8,733. NAN reports that the figure is the highest daily cases so far reported since the beginning of the outbreak in the country.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday reported that COVID-19 cases in Africa as at May 26 had risen to over 123, 000. The WHO Regional Office for Africa in Brazzaville, Congo, gave the update on its official twitter handle @WHOAFRO.
“There are over 123,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases on the African continent – with more than 50,000 recoveries and 3,600 deaths,’’ it said. The figures show that South Africa, Algeria and Nigeria have the highest reported cases in the continent.
