MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th May, 2020) The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in the country's biggest city of Lagos urged health workers to start an indefinite strike on Wednesday after a number of their colleagues had complained about harassment on part of police for violating the lockdown despite being exempt from the stay-at-home order.
In a statement, quoted by the Punch newspaper, the trade union accused the Lagos police of violating the government's directive that exempted essential workers from the lockdown and movement restrictions.
According to the association, it has been informed about recurrent cases of harassment and intimidation of medical workers by local police "to the extent that even Ambulances carrying patients with emergency cases were impounded."
"The Lagos State Branch of the NMA has resolved that it is presently unsafe for members to continue to provide healthcare services under the present confused arrangement. You are hereby advised to proceed on a sit-at-home, in your best interest, starting from 6pm today [17:00 GMT], Wednesday, 20th May, 2020 indefinitely, until otherwise advised," the trade union said.
Nigeria has so far confirmed 6,401 COVID-19 cases, including 1,734 recoveries and 192 deaths.
