The Federal Government says it has commenced the payment of the Upgraded Hazard allowances for frontline health workers fighting against the spread of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Nigeria.
The Minister of State for Health, Dr Olorunnimbe Mamora, made this known at the daily briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 in Abuja.
Mamora said that the new incentives, including insurance scheme was a fall-out of an MOU signed between the Federal Government and representatives of the unions under the health sector.
According to him, the upgraded allowance include: Special COVlD-19 Hazard and lnducement Allowance of 50 per cent of the consolidated basic salary.
“This is to be paid to all health workers in all the Federal Government Teaching Hospitals and Federal Medical Centres, the designated COVlD-19 Centres and the Primary Healthcare Centres to last for the first three months in the first instance.
The minister said that 40 per cent of Consolidated Basic Salary would be paid as Special COVlD-19 Hazard and Inducement Allowance to healthcare workers at Special Non-Public Hospitals and Clinics in the Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies for the same three months period.
He explained that 20 per cent of the Consolidated Basic Salary would be paid as Special Risk Allowance additionally on the Special COVID-19 Hazard and lnducement Allowance to all health workers directly managing COVlD-19 at the Infectious Diseases Hospitals, lsolation and Treatment Centres.
Mamora noted that another 10 per cent of Consolidated Basic Salary would be paid to non-core medical professionals working in the health sector and operating at aforementioned hospitals or clinics as Special Allowance for the COVID-19 for the period of three months in the first instance.
He said that the PTF on COVlD-19 was also requested to provide additional insurance cover aside the above listed for frontline health workers at the Infectious Diseases Hospitals, Isolation and Treatment Centres.
In his remarks, Dr Sani Aliyu , PTF National Coordinator, said COVID-19 testing was not a competition among the states, pointing out that rather, they needed to be transparent in testing for the virus.
Aliyu said that some states had sent less than 10 samples.
“I am appealing to states which have not done enough testing to do so and send samples,” he said.
Meanwhile, the PTF national coordinator, said that the people of Kano were not left alone, saying that the Federal Government would ensure that the issues were quickly resolved.
He called on Nigerians to continue to observe the Holy Month of Ramadan in the safety of their homes.
