Eight doctors have tested positive for coronavirus in Zamfara, says NMA

No fewer than eight doctors are confirmed to have tested positive to coronavirus disease in Zamfara State, the state’s branch of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has said.

The NMA Vice-Chairman in the state, Dr Mannir Bature, made the disclosure during a chat with journalists in Gusau, the state capital, on Wednesday.

He said: “Out of about 80 confirmed cases recorded so far in the state, 10 per cent are doctors who came into contact with the virus in the line of duty while trying to save lives especially at emergencies.

“We are however happy to note that out of the number, 60 per cent have been discharged from hospital while the remaining are fast responding to treatment,” he said.

Dr Bature also said 30 other doctors who came into contact with their infected colleagues went into self isolation in order to curb further spread of the virus in the state.

“This situation has seriously caused negative impact on the performance of doctors in the state, especially in this period of the pandemic because we only have a total of 300 doctors in the state, including those at the Federal Medical Centre, Gusau, those at state government health facilities and those in private practice.

“This is partly why as an association, we proposed to the state government under the leadership of Governor Bello Matawalle to engage more doctors and other health personnel as well as sponsor the training of indigent students in medicine so as to boost the number of doctors and improve the healthcare indices of the state,” he stated.