SAN FRANCISCO, May 05, (THEWILL) – The Federal Government has advised medical facilities in the country to stop rejecting patients, especially emergency cases.
Osagie Ehanire, Minister of Health, said this on Monday in Abuja, at the Presidential Taskforce (PTF) briefing on COVID-19 in the country saying that it is unethical not to attend to persons in distress, adding that any infected health worker puts a strain on the system.
The minister said the ministry was strengthening its support for Kano State Ministry of Health with service delivery and training in consultation with the state governor.
“The setbacks reported in routine hospital service delivery in Kano state are being addressed by line experts from the ministry, whether from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, or the Department of Family Health.
“A Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) pathologist is also participating in the investigation of the unexplained deaths in Kano.
“The team shall be reinforced according to needs expressed by the state government to strengthen its healthcare structure,” he said.
He said the ministry had also mobilised additional 20 Rapid Response Teams (RRT) across Kano state to reach people who need to be tested for the virus.
“41 Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) staff and 17 World Health Organisation (WHO) staff are deployed at the moment to support the Kano response.
ALSO READ: COVID-19: FG Scheming To Declare Fake COVID-19 Cases In Kogi –…
“With support of partners, 2 facilities are funded per Kano LGA; and will be setting up one sample collection centre per LGA,” he said.
He advised Nigerians that as they began a new week and the prospects of gradual easing of the lockdown, that the phase came with added responsibility to be extra vigilant and compliant with the accompanying measures and guidelines that were meant to assure that we did not lose the health gains we had made so far, while cautiously opening options for citizens to rebuild their livelihoods.
“Since our COVID-19 statistics are of considerable concern, attention has also been drawn to the observation that countries who eased or lifted restrictions, suffered an increase in new cases.
“Although our projection already features increasing number of cases, even with the lockdown, I believe that redoubling our efforts to adhere to government directives, can keep figures within control range of the COVID-19,” he said.
The minister said that there was now a community transmission mode and the ministry’s strategy was to take all persons who tested positive to isolation, even if they had no symptoms, so that they did not risk infecting others, who might be more vulnerable, due to other diseases.
Mr Ehanire noted that Nigerians needed to protect, not only themselves, but each other and their loved ones and make sacrifices today for a better tomorrow.
