Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi has approved the payment of safety allowances for frontline health workers, engaged in the fight against coronavirus in the state.
His Spokesperson, Yahaya Sarki, made the announcement in a statement, made available to Newsdiaryonline on Sunday.
“These allowances are structured to enhance the pay for the frontline health workers as a light compensation to the risks involved in handling the patients infected with COVID-19.
“The affected workers include public health officers, medical officers, nurses, pharmacists and medical laboratory scientists.
“Others are disease surveillance and notification officers, directors of PHCs in the LGAs and specialised medical consultants,’’ Sarki quoted Alhaji Jaafar Mohammed, Commissioner for Health, making the announcement on behalf of the governor.
Mohammed, who doubled as Chairman, state Task Force Committee on COVID-19, gave a breakdown of the categories of the allowances.
He said consultants and medical officers would receive N20,000 and N15,000 daily respectively.
“Nurses, pharmacists and medical laboratory scientists will receive N10,000, daily while ambulance drivers, cleaners and security personnel will receive N5,000 daily,’’ the commissioner said.
He said that occupational safety allowances have been graded according to the level of risks involved.
He said the governor also approved motivational incentives for the task force team members and other frontline health workers making tireless efforts to curb the spread of the disease.
“Each of the task force members will get N250,000, while the chairman will receive N500,000.
“Consultants will receive N300,000, while medical officers, pharmacists, medical laboratory scientists and nurses at the isolation centres will each be given N250,000.
“Also, medical officers at hospitals trained on infection prevention, control and case management would each receive N200,000 while nurses at general hospitals trained on infection prevention, control and case management will also collect N150,000 each.
Other categories of officers, including epidemiologists and surveillance officers, disease surveillance and notification officers (DSNO), directors of PHC at the state and local government levels would receive N150,000.
