21st June, 2010
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Zamfara on Sunday decried the slow pace of soil evacuation and replacement at the lead poison affected areas of the state.
A statement by Dr. Abubakar Danladi, NMA emergency response committee chairman, in Gusau on Sunday, said “the pace of soil evacuation and refilling in the affected areas was rather slow.“
He also said that inadequate manpower for the treatment of victims of the lead poison was threatening the current efforts at controlling the disease in the areas.
The NMA, which took a critical look at Zamfara state government’s rapid response to the tragedy, further frowned at lack of facilities for supportive investigations on further spread of lead poison in the areas.
It, however, commended international NGOs, especially Medicines sans Frontiers (doctors without boarders), for their unrelenting humanitarian efforts towards controlling the situation in the affected areas.
The NMA called on the state government to provide potable water to the affected areas as a matter of urgency and establish a centre for follow-up and proper monitoring of long term complications.