Meanwhile, the federal government has approved the payment of enhanced hazard allowance to all categories of health workers to serve as motivation to those of them in the frontline of the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking yesterday at the media briefing by the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 in Abuja, the Minister of State for Health, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, said after diligent negotiations with stakeholders in the country’s health sector, the federal government had arrived at a new hazard allowance and insurance cover for all public and non-public health workers.
The minister said the meeting agreed to shelve the payment of the existing hazard allowance of N5,000 across the board to health workers and in its place, a special COVID-19 hazard and inducement allowance of 50 per cent of the consolidated basic salary to be paid to all health workers in all federal government teaching hospitals and federal medical centres and designated COVID-19 centres and primary healthcare centres. The payment will last for the first three months in the first instance.
In the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Mamora; the acting Chairman of the National Income, Salaries and Wages Commission, Mr. Ekpo Nta; the President of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Francis Faduyile; President of the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria, Mr. Munir Elelu; National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) and Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), it was resolved that 40 per cent of consolidated basic salary would be paid as special COVID-19 hazard and inducement allowance to healthcare workers at special non-public hospitals and clinics in the federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) for the same three months’ period.
The federal government said 20 per cent of the consolidated basic salary would be paid as special risk allowance additionally on the special COVID-19 hazard and inducement allowance to all health workers directly managing the pandemic at the infectious disease hospitals, isolation, and treatment centres.
The last category, which constitutes those regarded as non-core medical professionals working in the health sector and operating at the designated hospitals or clinics, are to be paid 10 per cent of their consolidated basic salary also for a period of three months in the first instance.
The PTF on COVID-19 is also expected to consider a special allowance for the third category above at federal and state levels.
On the issue of insurance, the federal government said it had paid and activated the group life insurance for all categories of workers in the public service with 13 insurance companies.
The MoU, however, urged the federal government to ensure full payment for the cover to last for one year.
It urged the government to also fully reactivate the insurance policy for employees under the Employees Compensation Act (ECA) to cover for infirmities, critical illnesses, disability ‘ and death in the course of managing COVID-19 cases.
“These two insurance covers, which are for all federal public servants, especially the health workers for COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 period for the next one year is guaranteed by the MoU.
“The PTF is requested to provide additional insurance cover aside the above listed for frontline health workers at Infectious Diseases Hospitals (IDH), isolation and treatment centres.
“In addition, the PTF is urged to dedicate all the life insurance donations to the volunteers and National Youth Service (NYSC) health workers.
“The review of retirement age for healthcare professionals and request for retirement of health workers to be moved up to 65 years, and that of medical doctors consultants to 70 years were discussed but the federal government accepted to consider it subsequently,” it said.
Mamora also said the federal government was concerned about the rising number of new infections, especially in Kano State.
According to the minister, two additional laboratories have been activated in the NCDC network – Usman Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital laboratory in Sokoto and Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Kaduna thus bringing the total number to 15 laboratories in the country.
He said the ministry was planning to set up emergency ambulance services to ease the problems witnessed by those seeking emergency help from NCDC officials.