COVID-19: NMA Anambra, NCDC, ICRC to train 125 medical doctors
The NMA Anambra State in collaboration with International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC) has organized a 2-day training of 25 doctors on IPC at Golden Tulip Agulu Lake Hotel to achieve part of the first objective.
These trained doctors will train 125 doctors spread over the NMA zones, 25 doctors in each of the 5 zones, who will subsequently step down the training in their various zones and train health workers at designated Covid-19 isolation centers in Anambra State
The Chairman NMA, Anambra State, Dr Jide Onyekwelu in a release said “arrangement have been concluded with the ICRC to supply PPE to isolation/treatment centers in the State including Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Amaku Awka, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) Medical Center and Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi. This will achieve the second objective. This project will enable NMA Anambra State establish a relationship with ICRC, NCDC and Anambra State government. We intend to build on this relationship to achieve the third objective.
“The capacity building will help the doctors and health care workers protect themselves in the battle against Covid-19 and ultimately lead to the containment of the disease.
“We appreciate the Hon Commissioner for Health, Anambra State, Dr Vincent Okpala, for accepting to flag off this initiative on August 18, 2020 at Golden Tulip Hotel, Agulu. We appreciate our partners; the ICRC for sponsoring the project and NCDC for facilitating it.
The statement in full:
COVID-19: NMA to train 125 medical doctors in Anambra
NIGERIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (NMA)
ANAMBRA STATE BRANCH
COVID-19 INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL PROJECT
AUGUST 18 AND 19, 2020 AT GOLDEN TULIP AGULU LAKE HOTEL,
AGULU
PRESS RELEASE
Covid-19 means corona virus disease discovered in 2019. It is a novel disease. First case was reported in Wuhan, China, on December 31, 2019. WHO declared it Public Health Emergency of international concern on January 31, 2020 and named it Covid-19 on February 11, 2020. It was declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020. It was imported into Nigeria on February 27, 2020 by a visiting Italian. Nigeria has not known peace since then. The spread has been exponential. First case was reported in Anambra on April 11, 2020. As at August 11, 2020 there were 156 confirmed cases in Anambra State, 119 recoveries and 18 deaths.
Doctors and other health workers are at the front line in the containment of this disease. As at August 6, 2020, about 1,027 doctors in Nigeria had been exposed to Covid-19, 319 cases had been confirmed, 63 recovered and 14 had died. This statistics is disturbing. The health worker, in addition to knowing and applying the primary preventive methods: hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene and social distancing must know the details and application of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC).
To achieve this objective, the NMA Anambra State constituted a Task Force Committee headed by Dr Jane Ezeonu, a Public Health Physician, to facilitate appropriate response towards Covid-19 IPC including training of doctors and other health workers to equip them with skills required to minimize healthcare associated infection of Covid-19 and provision of the healthcare workers with Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE). The objectives are:
- To raise a team of 25 trained doctors spread over the 5 NMA zones in Anambra State who will subsequently step down the training in their various zones and train health workers at designated Covid-19 isolation centers in Anambra State
- To provide the healthcare workers (HCWs) with PPE
- To establish Covid-19 screening centers in the five zones of NMA Anambra State; Awka, Onitsha, Nnewi, Aguata and Ihiala.
The NMA Anambra State in collaboration with International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC) has organized a 2-day training of 25 doctors on IPC at Golden Tulip Agulu Lake Hotel to achieve part of the first objective. These trained doctors will train 125 doctors spread over the NMA zones, 25 doctors in each of the 5 zones, who will complete the first objective. Arrangements have been concluded with the ICRC to supply PPE to isolation/treatment centers in the State including Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Amaku Awka, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) Medical Center and Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi. This will achieve the second objective. This project will enable NMA Anambra State establish a relationship with ICRC, NCDC and Anambra State government. We intend to build on this relationship to achieve the third objective.
The capacity building will help the doctors and health care workers protect themselves in the battle against Covid-19 and ultimately lead to the containment of the disease. We appreciate the Hon Commissioner for Health, Anambra State, Dr Vincent Okpala, for accepting to flag off this initiative on August 18, 2020 at Golden Tulip Hotel, Agulu. We appreciate our partners; the ICRC for sponsoring the project and NCDC for facilitating it.
Dr Jide Onyekwelu
Chairman
NMA Anambra State
