NLC moves to pursue insurance cover for health workers lost to COVID-19

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has revealed that efforts are underway to follow up on the insurance cover for frontline health workers that died of the deadly COVID-19 virus across the country.

This was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the President of NLC, Mr Ayuba Wabba, who said that the NLC was working with the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) to follow up on the insurance cover for the lost health workers.

Wabba who made the disclosure at a Five-day 7th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of NANNM, in Abuja, noted that health workers globally are entitled to hazard and inducement allowances to encourage them to work, with some countries fixing such at 50 per cent.

According to Wabba, the NLC is aware that the federal government has not paid allowances to many health workers especially with the outbreak of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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He said; “We will work with you to know the number of those that have died to follow up on what they promised as insurance cover for COVID-19.

“We were told 800 health workers were infected with COVID-19.

“Health workers globally are entitled to hazard and inducement allowances to encourage them to work, some countries make such 50 per cent.

“I am aware that in the second wave, there are so many allowances that have not been paid; I urge the government to respect the understanding that we have actually reached,’’ Wabba added.

The NLC boss however frowned at the privatisation of healthcare services, saying; “policies are meant to service the entire people. “We have seen deficiency in privatisation of health care systems around the world, health is not supposed to be for profit.

“Health is a fundamental right of a citizen. Some private hospitals in the country are taking advantage of COVID-19 to exploit people. “We need to defend the larger population against exploitation,’’ he said.

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