Date: 2020-05-06

The Kwara State government has announced that medical doctors and other categories of health workers at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19 in the state will be paid N25,000 daily.

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq approved the new daily allowance amidst clamour for an improved welfare condition of the health workers.

There have been some protests staged against the poor welfare condition of health workers in Nigeria in the last two months.

While some have kicked against the non-provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), others have asked for an increase in hazard allowance and insurance programmes.

In a statement on Tuesday, the governor announced the recent development. According to him, the approval is to show appreciation to the health workers.

"We have approved N25,000 as daily allowance for medical doctors and varying daily allowance for other categories of health workers involved in our fight against COVID-19. This is to show appreciation to health workers as it's impossible to pay them for their priceless sacrifices," he wrote on Twitter.

Apart from Kwara State, some other states have also taken steps to encourage their health workers with incentives.

The Lagos State government increased the monthly hazard allowance of health workers from N5,000 to N25,000.

Also, the Kaduna State Government has concluded plans to offer a daily allowance to health workers in the frontline of containing the novel Coronavirus in the state.

The State Commissioner of Health, Amina Mohammed-Baloni, said in a statement issued Saturday in Kaduna, that Occupational Safety Incentive had been approved for health workers by the state government. The health workers will get between N5,000 and N15,000 daily depending on their degree of exposure.

Although, the federal government has promised that the caregivers will get 50 per cent of their basic salaries as hazard allowance, it is yet to be implemented.

According to the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, the delay in implementation is owing to the paperwork yet to be completed at the Ministry of Finance.

Mr Ehanire, who made this known last week during the daily national briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, however promised that a day will soon be fixed to begin payment of the allowance.