The Kogi State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress has called on the state government to convene a healthcare stakeholder meeting to speed up efforts to recover looted medical items from the state’s Central Store in Lokoja last week.
The State Chairman of the NLC, who doubles as the Vice President of Medical and Health Workers Union, North Central, Onuh Edoka, condemned the incident, noting however that the recovery of the looted items is possible with concerted effort.
Last week Monday was a sad day for the health sector in Kogi State, as its main medical store was invaded by looters, with medical consumables, hospital wares and office equipment carted away.
Kogi State NLC Chairman, Onuh Edoka, who frowned at the incident, said it was a big blow to the health sector in the state.
The Labour leader is more worried that it is the average citizen who will bear the brunt.
Edoka wants the state government to urgently engage the services of medical practitioners and other health unions in the state, to ensure the looted items are recovered.
The state government has already set up a committee to verify the items looted, as well as the cost implications and ways of ensuring that the development does not adversely affect health care delivery in the state.