A former chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Ondo State chapter, Dr Matthew Adeyeri, has died of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Adeyeri died on Thursday morning at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, according to an open letter written to the governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, by the chairman of Skye Hospital, Akure, Dr Ikubese Thomas-Wilson.
Thomas-Wilson urged Mr Akeredolu to urgently meet with the state chapter of the NMA in order to bring the striking doctors back to work.
He said the reopening, a few days ago, of places of worship, with people going about their daily activities with no regard for COVID-19 protocols, should be reviewed.
“As of today, Ondo state is gradually edging towards becoming the COVID-19 hotbed in Nigeria, because it came tops on the table, second only to Lagos,” he wrote.
“Last week, we lost the Commissioner for Health, Dr Wahab Adegbenro, to the ravaging pandemic.
“Just this morning (Thursday), we lost one of our senior medical doctors and former Ondo State Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr Matthew Adeyeri, to COVID-19.
“Several senior doctors, nurses and laboratory scientists in the state are currently in isolation.
“The most unfortunate aspect of this development is that medical doctors in the employment of Ondo State government are currently on strike, as government hospitals are no longer attending to patients.
“Even the doctors at the hitherto very busy and critical Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) have recently down tools.
“The doctors cited non-provision of personal protective equipment (PPE), non-payment of COVID-19 allowance, non-payment of the agreed minimum wage and non-provision of insurance for the frontline workers, among others.”
The medical practitioner also noted that the 12-bedded Infectious Disease Hospital in Akure had also been overstretched with several COVID-19 cases.
