The National Medical Association has described the attitude of the Kogi state government on COVID-19 issues in the state as “both ignorantly meddlesome and irresponsible.”
The state government has contended that it has no COVID-19 cases despite the reporting of two cases by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on Wednesday.
In a press release on thursday, Kogi state’s Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, described the NCDC reporting process as fraudulent.
In a statement on Friday co-signed by the NMA President, Francis Faduyile, the NMA said it was disturbed by the Commissioner’s comments which cast aspersions on frontline health workers and the NCDC on live television.
“His use of profane words is capable of demoralising the exemplary gold-winning health workers and the untiring NCDC, which possibly can lead to a national catastrophe,” the statement read.
The medical association appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the situation and call the state government to order as “we believe” COVID-19 “is gaining a serious foothold in the State.”
“This order may include citing testing facilities in the Army Barracks or any secured location free from the encumbrances posed by the State government,” the NMA said.
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