The Federal Government again warned unauthorised health facilities not to handle Coronavirus (COVIDCOVID-19) cases because it is highly contagious.
Olorunnimbe Mamora, Minister of State for Health, gave the warning on Wednesday in Abuja , during the Presidential Taskforce, PTF, daily briefing on COVID-19 in the country.
“The COVID-19 is extremely dangerous pathogen, which spread very easily.
“It is not advisable to accept these kind of patients for treatment,” he said.
The minister said that those who tested positive for COVID-19 must report to designated treatment centre for safe isolation and care, even if they felt well, because the danger of the disease was that those who did not have any symptoms were still as infectious as those with symptoms and needed to be isolated, for the sake of their families, friends and the public.
He disclosed that the government was engaging the Association of Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria and the Guild of Medical Directors to adequately engage their members accordingly in order to prevent unauthorised persons from handling the case.
He, however, noted that unauthorised management of this disease and compromise of medical ethics could aggravate the public health emergency at community level and place national security in jeopardy.
He stressed that the private and public health managers must not reject reported cases but should always follow the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), guidelines.
“I urge all health workers to apply Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) protocols always and maintain a high index of suspicion for COVID-19.
“The resources on NCDC COVID-19 website covid19.ncdc.gov.ng, including national case definition guidelines, are being constantly updated,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the minister said that as the global community commemorated World Health Day yesterday, “ I thank our health workers for their commitment, hard work and sacrifice in the response to this pandemic that has drastically changed the pace and style of life.
Mamora said that through training, provision of guidelines and Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs), the government would continue to enhance the understanding and capacity of the frontline workers for this novel disease.
“To health workers, I say, “Your well-being is a priority to us, and we cannot thank you enough for the work that you do in protecting the health of Nigerians,” he commended.
The minister strongly advised Nigerians against giving false information of symptoms or travel history to healthcare workers, when seeking care, at this critical time.
He noted that doing so puts the health of health professionals at risk of infection and would also deprive them of comprehensive information to properly diagnose and manage illnesses.
Mamora said that as of April 8, 2020, Nigeria recorded 254 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Source: NAN
