The Edo State Government has said 39 healthcare workers in the state have been infected with the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease in the last 72 hours.
Permanent Secretary, Edo State Ministry of Health, Dr. Osamwonyi Irowa, during a press briefing in Benin City, said case management for critical care is being strengthened to ensure effective management of severe cases of COVID-19.
He expressed worry over the increasing rate of infection among healthcare workers in the state who are critical to the fight against the spread of the disease, noting, “We have the challenge of healthcare workers infected with COVID-19. In the last 72 hours, we have had 39 healthcare workers infected with the virus.
“This is critical to us because they are in the frontline taking care of persons who have tested positive or not positive. It is important and necessary to ensure that they are duly protected and comply with the COVID-19 protocols.”
He said the 39 health workers who have tested positive in the last 72 hours are from the various healthcare centres managing active cases in the state.
“It is our duty to pull the infected healthcare workers out of the system so that they will not infect others.
“We are doing everything possible to ensure that the healthcare workers are protected by way of ensuring the use of appropriate PPEs. We also urge them to follow the protocols already designed and being implemented in Edo State.”
“The State has procured additional PPEs for distribution to health facilities across the State to address rising healthcare workers’ infection and decontamination of facilities affected with strict measures to ensure compliance to standard precaution and other IPC preventive measures,” Irowa added.