Coronavirus: committee set to inspect public, private treatment centres

The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire has disclosed that FMoH COVID-19 Accreditation Committee has begun the inspection of public and private treatment centers.

This he said is in accordance to strict infectious disease management protocols, in order to increase bed capacity for COVID-19 isolation and treatment nationwide and also to protect health workers from harm.

The Minister revealed this on Friday at the Presidential Task Force briefing that “there would be an inspection and accreditation tour to all states starting with those that have active COVID-19 cases”.

The Minister said that the bed space expansion will start with federal tertiary hospitals, stating that the University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) had commenced operation with a 60-bed isolation center. 

Dr. Ehanire informed that the Federal Ministry of Heath through the Nigeria Center for Disease Control [NCDC], has continued to increase testing capacity for COVID-19.

“there are 9 laboratories capable of testing for COVID-19. He stated that there are 2  In Abuja: the  National Reference Laboratory[NRL], Gaduwa and the Defence Reference Laboratory, Mogadishu, Abuja; 3 in Lagos: the NCDC Virology Laboratory in LUTH, the Lagos State Biosafety Level-3 Laboratory, and the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research [NIMR]. Others are, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Edo State; Virology Laboratory of UCH, Oyo State; Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki [FETHA], Ebonyi State; and the Africa Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases [ACEGID], Osun State”.

He also stated that additional laboratories in Borno, Kaduna, Kano, Jos and Sokoto States are set to come online imminently.

However, he emphasized that NCDC has continued to support response activities and preparations in all states by timely deployment of Rapid Response Team to every outbreak state and had improved contact tracing, case management, risk communication and infection, prevention and control [IPC] measures, thus indicated that providing training guidelines and personal protective equipment [PPE] has enhanced capacity and understanding of frontline workers for this novel disease.

Furthermore, the Minister re-stated that a 16-ton of medical commodities and equipment worth USD$1.5 million arrived Abuja on Wednesday from Beijing, China.

“The equipment includes 50 ventilators and anextracorporeal membrane oxygenation [ECMO] machine, used in worst case scenarios of COVID-19 treatment when a ventilator is no longer effective. The ECMO machine, whose export is restricted by many countries, may be the first and only one in Nigeria”, the Minister said.

Also, he noted that the 15 member team of medical and technical advisers from china were screened and tested for COVID-19 before departing their country but also quarantined  for 14 days adding that all designated isolation and treatment centers have adequate supplies to manage cases, as there are no shortages of PPE for health workers.

” There is a limited supply of consumables in the market due to the increased global demand and decreased production due to public health crisis. We are, however, developing in-country manufacturing capability. Citizens should use the limited supply judiciously and bear in mind that this should not be a time of hoarding, price gouging and profiteering”. Stating also that, health workers should have priority in rationing of commodities because they are more at risk”.

Dr. Ehanire while imploring stakeholders stressed; the importance of giving accurate and complete information of symptoms or travel history to health care workers when seeking care such as not to endanger or hinder proper diagnosis.

Meanwhile he reiterated the importance of observing good respiratory hygiene, hand washing and social distancing while urging Nigerians to obey the stay at home order, and follow the guidelines of government.

The Minister further charged that both public and private sector health workers should maintain a high index of suspicion for COVID-19, employ infection prevention and control [IPC] protocols and refer suspected cases to the testing sites and also visit NCDC COVID-19 websitescovid19.gov.ng, for updated information. No citizen should be sent away without advice. He advised against rumor mongering, which he said creates needless fear and restiveness in the society.

“While the Government of Nigeria is encouraged by the commendation from the World Health Organization and the UN, we will not relax because we still need to further our strategy and sharpen our processes to face the coronavirus challenge, the magnitude of which we cannot guess”, he said.