FG: States Will Henceforth Treat Their COVID-19 Cases

The federal government says henceforth all persons diagnosed with Coronavirus (COVID-19) would be treated in the state where the diagnosis was carried out instead of being referred to another state.

Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, stated this on Wednesday during the ongoing presidential taskforce briefing on COVID-19.

Ehanire said, this was part of the resolutions unanimously adopted by a meeting convened by ministry of health and national council on health via teleconference, where state commissioners of health and the acting FCT secretary for health were engaged to review the status and align all response to COVID-19 outbreak in the country.

He said “All persons diagnosed with COVID-19 be henceforth preferably treated in the state where the diagnosis was made rather than to be referred to another state, or to their state of origin except there is a medical indication for it. This is to avoid the high risk of exposure of other persons in the course of transfer.”

He also announced the prohibition of patent and propriety medicine vendors and pharmacies from attempting to treat the disease.

“Patent and propriety medicine vendors, pharmacies and chemists are henceforth prohibited from attempting to treat persons diagnosed with or suspected to be COVID-19 patients. Otherwise their licences may be cancelled.”

The health minister said, hospitals desiring to manage the virus, should apply to their state ministries of health for a permit.

“Private hospitals desiring to manage #COVID19 cases should apply to their state ministries of health for a permit, and they must a standard IPC prevention and prevention and control standards and be accredited by a state accreditation team, according to the guildlines developed by the federal ministry of health before they’re granted permit.”

He further advised Nigerians to use tissue or handkerchief when coughing.

“We advise the use of tissue or handkerchief when you are coughing.

He said the country was in the community transmission phase of the pandemic: “Now we are in the community transmission phase and we have passed that era when  people used to think that COVID-19 was something for big men & big women who came from abroad.

“Now that it is in the grassroots level, the role of the Primary health care now comes to play and it is very important for them to do the surveillance to raise the index of suspicion.”

On his part, while answering a question on fake news as regards coronavirus, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed said, security agencies were working to apprehend and unveil the purveyors of fake news.

“Security agencies are working round the clock to apprehend and unveil the spate of fake news, clearly it’s no use appealing to them.”