COVID-19: FG scaling up surveillance at port health facilities – Health Minister

The Minister Of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, said the federal government is scaling up surveillance at the port health facilities in order to prevent the third wave of COVID-19.

Speaking at the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 briefing on Monday in Abuja, Osagie said “We are strengthening surveillance at the Points of Entry to check importation, particularly of virulent COVID strains and be able to identify and get them under control.

“A team from the federal Ministry of Health, led by the Director of Public Health, is working closely with Lagos and Ogun State governments to advise the funeral planning committee for a Lagos-based cleric, to ensure that COVID protocols are observed, in anticipation of large turnout. We are strongly advising virtual participation. In view of our efforts to limit the third wave, self preservation measures will be needed.

“We shall be advised by the experience of other countries.

“While we are taking steps to contain the third wave, we must continue to take proactive steps, part of which is identifying areas in the Isolation and Treatment Centres that require urgent attention such as training of frontline personnel, assessment and re-assessment of medical devices and commodities stocks at the Isolation/Treatment Centres in line with preparatory strategy in accordance with WHO post second wave scenarios. In addition, we are also conducting Oxygen Readiness Assessment in the Isolation and Treatment Centres.”

On new cases, the minister said records showed a decrease in COVID-19 cases but warned against negligence.

He said “Nigeria recorded just two new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, giving us a total of 167,467 confirmed cases as at today, out of 2,266,591 samples tested, with a test positivity rate of 1.2 per cent. We shall endeavor to increase testing rate to identify positive cases early for isolation and treatment.

“In the past four weeks, we have done 40,000 to 50,000 samples weekly, with 949 confirmed. We have sadly lost 2,119 persons and shall continue to do the needful to ensure that those who test positive are treated promptly at the Isolation centres or in supervised care at home.

“​Nigeria has so far escaped the worst of COVID-19 and the dire predictions made about us. We may even seem to be doing well, but I wish to emphasize that we must still be on strict preventive alert, because of the COVID-19 third wave that is sweeping across the globe. Cases have been rising in one African country after the other and health systems are getting stressed in countries like Uganda.

“​The Ministry of Health has been preparing itself to ensure system resilience. Oxygen sufficiency is of high priority, as we observed in countries going through the third wave. The Federal Government placed order for 38 Oxygen Generation Plants, one in every State, with Lagos having two, due to its high burden.

“The Global Fund is funding the repair of 30 non-operational plants, and shall in addition build 12 new oxygen plants, to be so spatially located across Nigeria, as set on the map of Nigeria, in such a way that gaps in supply are filled and health facilities in Nigeria are able to access oxygen less 100km from an oxygen plant.

“Over 420 new oxygen cylinders are on order, to support distribution and availability, just along with 12 liquid oxygen tanks of 10,000 L each, with vaporizers, to be also stationed where we can refill cylinders easily. This will expand access to oxygen nationwide and make it available to treat patients with other conditions, such as asthma, pneumonia, and sickle cell anaemia,” he said.