ABUJA – The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has saluted healthcare and frontline workers amid the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), pandemic outbreak in the country, especially those who had not been infected with the virus.
Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director-General, NCDC, gave the salutation during his address at the Presidential Task Force briefing on COVID-19 on Wednesday in Abuja.
“I put a phone call through to the health workers in our team who have been infected with COVID-19 and instead of sounding discouraged, they revealed how they have continued working even in isolation.
“Yesterday after work, I spoke to a number of people in my team that have sadly become infected as part of their response in the line of duty.
“I called to encourage them, but we ended in a situation where they ended up being encouraged.
They encouraged this Presidential Task Force (PTF) to keep pushing. They said our work is so important for the future of our country and they wanted to keep at it.
“Even though they are being isolated in the hospital, they are on their laptop working and contributing. They said it is better to do that than to sit down idle, watching TV or thinking about their fate,” he explained.
Ihekwrazu hailed the health workers and encouraged them to keep pushing and to persevere.
“Across our country, many people have been away from their families from six weeks to two months working very hard with no end in sight, at the moment, but to continue pushing.
“Wherever you are across this country responding to this outbreak, I will ask you to persevere. Your work will see the light at the end of the tunnel,” he noted.
The D-G stressed that the work of everyone responding to the fight against COVID-19 pandemic was essential.
He explained that this was whether they were working clinically, whether they were working in public health, or whether they were drivers.
Ihekweazu, however, urged health workers not to give up but to keep pushing.
