Covid-19 & Hospital Personnel:

Biya Provides 100.000 Protective Kits for Health Workers 

The modern hospital equipment, and protective kits for medical personnel, who expose themselves in the course of diagnosing, treating and managing covid-19 patients, were handed to the Minister of Public Health at the Emergency Operations Centre in Messa, Yaoundé, by the Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, on Friday, 12 June 2020.

By Doh Bertrand in Yaounde

Minat boss Atanga Nji presents the protective kits to the Minsante

Speaking while handing over the gifts from President Paul Biya to Public Health Minister, Dr. Manounda Malachie, at the Emergency Operations Centre in Messa, Yaoundé, Territorial Administration boss, Paul Atanga Nji, said the gifts are aimed to boost the morale of medics who expose themselves in their ‘wonderful’ effort to contain the spread of the deadly covid-19 in the country.

                Atanga Nji explained that the donation comprising 100.000 surgical masks, 20 ResMed brand respirators, 700 protective jumpsuits, 700 pairs of gloves, 700 safety glasses, 700 caps and an ambulance, falls within the framework of government’s response strategies to combat the spread of the covid-19.

                “I think the Minister of Public Health and his collaborators are doing a wonderful job and when President Paul Biya made his speech on 19 May, he said the personnel of the Ministry are doing wonderfully well. So, now I think the gesture that the Head of State has made today is another strong and very powerful message that he is determined to fight this pandemic,” Atanga Nji said.

                He reiterated the President’s call for Cameroonians to remain vigilant and responsible in their behaviour in the face of the covid-19 pandemic, adding that combatting the virus entails not only individual but a collective responsibility of all and sundry.

                “The Head of State has given instructions which are being put in place by the Prime Minister, Head of Government to accompany the Minister of Health and together fight the pandemic which took everybody unaware,” Atanga explained, stating that the best way of manage the pandemic is to follow the instructions which has been put in place by the President Biya through the PM and that of the World Health Organisation.

                Friday’s donation is a strong message that response against the Covid-19 must be translated into concrete and effective actions and comes after the distribution of rapid screening kits which completely changed the early management of patients as final results are obtained within 15 minutes. It comes to add to that which was done by the President to all 360 subdivisions, medical centres, schools and businesses.