NMA condemns attacks on health facilities, looting of medical consumables

Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has expressed concern on what it called the violent turn of events as hoodlums seeking COVID-19 palliatives attacked health facilities ranging from burning of hospitals and clinics to looting and vandalization of medical and hospital supplies, consumables and vaccines.

NMA’s President, Professor Innocent Ujah in a release stated that the barbaric, primitive and wanton destruction of hospital facilities that is capable of endangering the health of Nigerians and have an irredeemable negative impact on the health system.

He declared that the action of the hoodlums will be a setback on our country’s desire to achieve the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Sustainable Development Goals and further, weaken the delivery of health services as Nigeria continues to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in an already near-comatose health system.

NMA president stated: “We were shocked on the magnitude of the reported looting and vandalisation of health facilities, hospital equipment, vaccines, drugs and consumables as well as assaults on our members, who were in the line of duty in Lagos, Ebonyi, Delta, Edo, Cross River, Kaduna, Nasarawa and Ekiti States.

“The vaccines that were carted away are meant to prevent diseases but the action of the hoodlums may lead to the resurgence of vaccine-preventable childhood diseases. We, therefore, urge all those in the custody of these vaccines to return them to the health facilities for revalidation for possible use.”

Professor Ujah calls on those who are in the custody of these medicaments and hospital equipment, including vaccines, to return them either to be used or destroyed professionally because some of these medicaments can be very harmful to the human body.

He expressed concern about the risks health workers and health facilities are exposed to and called on all security agencies to refocus their security apparatus on hospitals, clinics and medical stores all over the country, to ensure the delivery of quality health to Nigerians.

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