The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has urged the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to intervene in the refusal of the Kogi State Government to accept the positive test results of coronavirus patients in the State.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control had on Wednesday confirmed two COVID-19 cases in the state.
One of the patients, who is reportedly a popular community and religious leader, was referred from the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja and diagnosed with the virus at the National Hospital, Abuja.
But the Kogi State Government rejected the result.
The NMA President, Dr Francis Faduyile, and Secretary General, Dr Odusote Olumuyiwa, in a statement on Friday, said the association was “incredibly disturbed” by the response of the Kogi State Government.
The NMA lamented that the state Commissioner for Information did not only describe the process of arriving at the diagnosis as fraudulent, but allegedly “went on to smear the front-line health workers and the NCDC on live national television.” It said,
“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 implied consequences of these unbecoming actions are what the NMA condemns.
The association, therefore, appeals to President Muhammadu Buhari to caution the state governor and his officials immediately.”
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