Ebola: Wema Bank To ‘Reject’ Customers With High Fever

Wema Bank has introduced self-dispensing hand sanitisers,
and body temperature scanners at all its branches in the country in a move
aimed at curtailing the spread of Ebola, Premium Times reports.

The bank is also introducing protective gears for members of
its staffs especially those who deal directly with customers.

In a notice to customers released Monday, the bank said
henceforth all customers and visitors to any branch of the bank would be
required to use the hand sanitisers and be scanned for symptoms of fever before
being admitted into their banking halls.

“In the wake of the recent Ebola Virus Disease outbreak
across West Africa, we are compelled to introduce the following preventive
health and safety initiatives at all our business locations in order to ensure
a safe banking environment for all customers and staff,” the notice read.

“All customers and visitors are required to use the hand
sanitisers and also undergo a quick non-invasive body temperature scan before
being allowed into our banking halls and business locations.

“In addition, some of our staff at the more sensitive desks
will also be required to wear some protective gears while interacting with
customers and other visitors during this period” the document added.

Premium Times further went ahead to make enquiries from experts
if this was right or a form of discrimination and here’s what they were told;

The federal Ministry of Health said it was not informed of
the move, considered by some as discriminatory.

A health campaign organization, Projekthope, said the new
policy is discriminatory.

“We should all learn to do things right. The presence of
Ebola symptoms does not necessarily mean transmission will take place,” said
Steve Aborisade, who heads Ibadan-based Projekthope. “And even if we want to be
hyper proactive it should be sensitive in ways that will not be discriminatory
and which actually stops transmission which is our first purpose.”

However, a medical expert said the bank should go beyond
screening and make adequate referral arrangements for customers who may be
turned away due to their health.

“I don’t think we should see it in the light of a
discriminatory policy, I think they are just trying to act on the side of
caution,” said Osahon Enabulele, the immediate past president of the Nigerian
Medical Association, NMA.

“The end point should be to aid the referral of such an
individual to the nearest health facility for appropriate treatment. And of
course, I expect that they should have a medical unit in the bank to quickly
evaluate clients that may have suspicious features to properly evaluate them
and not just to turn them away,” Mr. Enabulele said.