Dr. Osagie Ehanire, the Minister of Health, on Tuesday inspected an Isolation Centre under construction at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada as part of the precautionary measures to prevent importation of coronavirus.
Ehanire in a statement by the Head Media and Public Relations in the ministry, Enefaa Bob-Manuel, said the Federal Government had adopted the measure in the event that the disease is imported.
He said: “We must not allow it enter our country through any of the entry points.
“As such, if any passenger should test positive at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, he or she will need to be isolated, thus, the need to have an isolation centre at UATH.”
Ehanire said there was the need for a facility where diagnosis could be carried out by staff to be trained by Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Port Health Services Division of the Ministry.
According to him, the training will equip health workers to build their capacity to treat Lassa fever so that patients will not need to travel as far as Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital in Edo State.
The minister, therefore, solicited the support of UATH to enable the health sector tackle the disease in case of its importation.
In his response, the Chief Medical Director of UATH, Prof. Bissallah Ekele, pledged his support to provide necessary facility for the centre.
“I will not only make the yet to be completed Isolation Centre available but also to offer the newly completed Accident and Emergency department for temporary use until the completion of the Isolation centre,” Ekele said.
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