Delta Takes Life Insurance for over 2,550 Health Workers

Delta Takes Life Insurance for over 2,550 Health Workers

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

Delta State Government has taken life-insurance for a total of 2,557 health workers as part of a motivational package for those regarded as first-line charge in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mordi Ononye, disclosed this while presenting an update on the state response activities against the COVID-19 to journalists at the Government House in Asaba yesterday.

Ononye, who is also the Chairman, Delta State Technical Committee on COVID-19, was flanked at a reasonable distance by his Information counterpart, Mr. Charles Aniagwu and Mrs. Minnie Oseji, permanent secretary in the health ministry.

The health commissioner also said the government was also in the process of negotiating with the Medical and Health Workers Union concerning the hazard allowance for different categories of health workers.

Ononye said: “We have continued to ensure the welfare of health workers as well as providing the needed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). We are also engaging with them and their unions to ensure that their allowances are paid.

“The state has also taken life-insurance for 2,557 health workers to motivate them. I commend them for their selfless efforts so far, and urge them to do more for Deltans.”

He also cautioned against discrimination or stigmatisation whatsoever against anyone who may have tested positive for coronavirus as it discourages people from going to the hospitals, even as he said individuals should feel free to take the test for the COVID-19 voluntarily.

Ononye, who said that significant levels of community testing for the coronavirus was going on in at least 19 wards across seven local government areas of the state, said: “I appeal to Deltans to rise against stigmatisation of COVID-19 positive persons as this has a very negative impact on the willingness of people to attend hospitals for care or show up for testing.”

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