In a bid to further strengthen current efforts at containing the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria, the United States Government has donated equipment worth $5,000 to boost screening capacity at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.
Making the donation at the Conference Room of the MMIA on Friday, the US Consul-General in Nigeria, Jeffrey Hawkins, expressed satisfaction with the timely response of the Nigerian Government to the contagious disease since its importation into the country by Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian-American, a month ago.
Hawkins commended the measures already in place at MMIA, pointing out that EVD is neither a Nigerian nor West African problem, but a problem to humanity as a whole.
He said that the donation of the equipment was a symbol of willingness on the part of the American Government to assist Nigeria in any way possible to combat the scourge.
Known as infrared thermometers or non-contact thermometers, the portable handheld equipment has the ability to measure body temperature of in-bound and out-bound passengers for possible Ebola symptoms from a distance.
Present at the occasion were Dr. Alex-Okoh, the Head of Port Health, Lagos; Dr. Garry Bronette of Centre for Disease Control; Heads Agencies at MMIA; airlines/handling companies representatives; health personnels at the airport; and airport workers among others.
Agencies at the airport were commended for their collaboration since the first reported case of the virus in Nigeria.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria was particularly applauded for providing the necessary infrastructure for the Port Health Services and Collaborating Agencies to effectively discharge their duties in the face of the threat posed by the rampaging virus.
It would be recalled that screening of passengers, which was initially restricted to in-bound passengers from West African countries, has since been expanded to include all in-bound and out-bound passengers from all destinations.