Doctors under the aegis of the Medical Guild have advised the public against letting down their guard as the festive season approaches, to avoid an emergence of COVID-19 fourth wave.
Dr Oluwajimi Sodipo, Chairman of the Guild, gave the advice at a news conference announcing activities for the association’s scientific conference, in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Medical Guild is the association of medical doctors under the employment of the Lagos State government.
Sodipo noted that the risks associated with proceeding into the Christmas period without caution was too high.
He advised that the public should ensure safe gathering, vaccination and other preventive measures to protect themselves against COVID-19 infection.
The chairman appealed to citizens to get inoculated, noting that various studies had shown that vaccines were effective against various variants of COVID-19, including omicron.
He said that leveraging the expansion of COVID-19 vaccination sites would assist to reach more people, advising that the vulnerable should consult their physicians before taking the booster dose.
On the Guild’s Annual General Meeting and Scientific conference, Sodipo said that the activities, which opened on Dec. 5, would end on Dec.10.
He said that during the week, the Guild would hold a health screening for civil servants as part of their corporate social responsibility to the state.
According to him, the theme: “Tackling the Challenges of Human Resources for Health in Lagos State” is aimed at analysing the manpower challenge and ways to retain them amid lure of brain drain to other countries.
“The pull factors are increasing, especially with the burden of COVID-19 on health systems in Europe, most particularly the new omicron variant,” he said.
Sodipo noted that the conference would address urgent issues affecting doctors and other healthcare professionals, especially as they recorded some deaths in the last two years.
According to him, five doctors died in 2020, while four died this year, stressing the need for healthcare professionals to prioritise their health.
He commended the Lagos State Government for the ongoing employment exercise holding at various levels of healthcare in the state and the infrastructure development programmes.
Sodipo expressed optimism that such moves with welfare packages such as subsidised housing schemes, education, among others would secure the best healthcare workforce for the state and its citizens.
NAN
