FETHI CMD urges Nigerians to accept COVID-19 vaccines

Our ReporterChief Medical Director, Federal Teaching Hospital (FETHI) Prof. Adekunle Ajayi has urged Nigerians to accept the COVID-19 vaccines whenever they are available.The health expert also cautioned them to allow the discovery of the vaccine to outshine safety protocols.Ajayi spoke during a Long Service Award ceremony held for some health workers, who had served for 20 years unblemished.The CMD said the award was a call on the recipients to continue to contribute to the development of the teaching hospital.Expressing concern about the attitudes of some Nigerians to safety procedures, Ajayi said: There is apathy on the part of people to do the right thing. When you get to that point, you need to keep talking. The truth is that we moved from an era when fear was the motivating factor to one where apathy is the major challenge. That is expected for anything that is longer than expected or that will also affect the comfort of people. We are on top of the game.Read Also; Nigeria expecting vaccine from China, says OnyeamaThe medical expert, however, advised Nigerians to accept the vaccine as it would go a long way in combating the dreaded virus.As I have always said, the best form of prevention in infectious diseases is hygiene; that is an issue that we must not let down. We must continue to talk about hygienepersonal hygiene, community hygiene and basic thingsuse mask, wash your hands, use hand sanitisers, maintain the appropriate distance and avoid crowded areas. Take responsibility to ensure that you are not infected. When you take responsibility to protect yourself, you are indirectly protecting the several people around you.Health professionals have used vaccines over the years to tackle infectious diseases. This one is not going to be an exception. We are lucky that we have been able to get vaccine even ahead of the expected time. There is the need to sensitise the populace on the benefits of taking the vaccine.Because no matter how well-intended a scheme is, if the people do not accept it, it is going to end up as a failure. We have to sensitise the public to accept that these vaccines are meant to help them combat as part of measures.Prof. Ajayi added that the hospital management was prepared to confront the menace of the second wave of COVID-19.As I speak with you, we have sufficient PPEs that can take us for a year. Through the intervention of government, we procured several additional ventilators.Part of what we are planning to do now is to meet workers to take them through the hospital protocol and that is what we will continue to do from time to time, he added.
Click here to read full news..