(Opinion) COVID-19 Lockdown: Kudos to PMB but …

By Dr. Diri Olawale
In the face of the global pandemic effects of COVID-19 and knowing that there are evident cases of the infections in Nigeria, the President, Muhammad Buhari has ordered a total lockdown of Abuja, Lagos, and Ogun states for 14 days.
While this is commendable on one hand, it is important to look at the negative impacts of total lockdown. In some of the countries affected by the virus, total lockdown had been effected but not necessarily effective in combating the virus.
This is because total lockdown alone is not enough, staying at home alone is not enough. There is a need to embark on other measures while the lockdown is in place. But when these other measures are not put in place, the lockdown became a frustrating effort in many countries.
Below are my humble suggestions to Mr. President, if Nigeria will see a quick recovery from this pandemic:
1. Reduce the total lockdown to partial lockdown in terms of the number of hours per day and the number of days. While the partial lockdown is in place, the following activities should be in place in every local government of the Federation:
▪Embark on aggressive training of medical, para medical personnel, and volunteers on how to conduct testing for COVID-19. There should be different levels of testing:
Level 1: to determine the immediate symptoms and this can be handled by trained volunteers;
Level 2: to test for confirmation; and
Level 3 to handle management of confirmed cases.
This has to be done by well-trained and fully dressed medical personnel. Those to be trained should not be from the government hospitals only but ad hoc personnel should be mobilized from private hospitals, Corps members, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth year Medical students, paramedics and volunteers.
2. Aggressive procurement or local production of protective equipment for those to be involved in testing. Within a week, thousands of these equipment can be produced locally even though it may not be exactly like the imported ones but it can still serve the same purpose and beat the delay in importation of exotic ones.
3. After the training of the first batch of personnel who will conduct the tests and who have the right equipment, there should be house to house testing by these trained personnels.
We should never wait for people to voluntarily come for testing – many people will never come forward, even when they are carriers of the virus. WE NEED TO GO FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE TO CONDUCT THE TEST AND SELECTIVELY ISOLATE THOSE WHO NEED ISOLATION AND TREATMENT! This may look like a herculean task but it can be completed in one month with proper mobilization rather than lockdown the country for weeks because this lockdown is likely to be extended.
4. Those who have no history (past and present) of the virus can be identified in various institutions and organisations and can be allowed to carry on skeletal services in their respective workplaces while maintaining appropriate disciplines to prevent getting infected.
With this, the economy will keep running albeit partially but better than complete lockdown. Can Nigeria handle the economic and social burden associated with complete lockdown? I think not. Some countries immediately declared complete lockdown only to realise the horrible implications later. WE SHOULD NOT TAKE PANIC MEASURES . WE NEED TO THINK DEEPLY BEFORE PRONOUNCING SOME POLICIES.
5. The government needs to immediately compile the list of daily paid workers through their various institutions and devise a plan to assist them in the coming days when their savings, if any, begin to run out.
6. The government should ensure that companies don’t retrench workers at this point in time but should also provide tax waivers to the companies as compensation.
7. Several isolation centres should be established in all the local government areas ahead of the arrival of people that need isolation.
8. The organised private sector should be involved in all these and encouraged to donate within their capacities. This donation should be managed by an independent Trust comprising of trusted and accountable individuals.
9. The level of awareness should be increased from the perspective of courageous, sensible response rather than panic response.
▪ Olawale is with Caring Psychotherapeutic Initiative Nigeria, and sent this via WhatsApp from India