The Federal Government has said that it would set up at least one sample collection site in each local government of the federation.
In view of this,it has put in place training of human resources in general hospitals and primary health care centres with efficient sample retrieval logistics in due course.
The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehinare made this known during the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 briefing in Abuja on Monday.
Ehanire said that the Programme though ambitious,yet was neccessary to prepare for , because of growing concerns that Covid-19 would also spread to small towns and to rural areas ,
He said for patients with significant clinical symptoms,” We plan the designation of holding rooms at general hospitals so that patients are not rejected. single holding rooms with facilities for oxygen administration particularly for those who come in distressed We require things like oxygen concentrators or even oxygen cylinders.”
He analysed the positives recorded in covid between June and July saying the number of positive cases dropped by 2000, which showed that the strategy is not failing and said that there is the need for sustained efforts.
The Minister assured health workers not to panic over Personal Protective Equipment as there is a stockpile of the needs which have been supplied to all sections of the country.
Meanwhile the Director General of the Nigeria Center For Disease Control NCDC,Chikwe Ihekweazu has described Vaccine as important medical intervention.
He said vaccines have prevented more deaths, saved more lives than any other single intervention in known medical history and the nation is striving to ensure that Nigerians have access to it.
According to him the process of vaccine research and development is very rigorous it requires the investment in science and developing the institutions that would be needed in the future. but in the meantime, “tWe are working with other colleagues around the continent through the Africa CDC in a consortium for Covid-19 vaccines clinical trials to start advocating for some of the clinical trials to be done on the continent “..”To do this We have to build capacity,gather sufficient data that includes Africans institutions in the efforts.
Ihekweazu said that the Nigerian population would be prepared for vaccine delivery when it becomes available and expressed worry over the anti vaccine campaign by a few saying that it should not be taken for granted.,addung that the time to sensitise Nigerians on the benefits of vaccine is now.
