The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire has urged Nigerians to obliged health workers with complete and accurate information especially about their travel history or contact with persons who have or had COVID-19.
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Saying, full disclosure allows health workers to promptly, investigate, diagnose and treat correctly, to improve chances of patient survival and recovery and also keeps the health workers safe.
He further stated, withholding the truth puts both the user and caregiver at risk, but also other patients on site. Several Health workers, who must then self-isolate as a result of exposure to a positive patient, will also be put out of circulation. This is not what we can afford with the limited number of Health workers in the country.
Ehanire made this known on Friday while briefing Nigerians on the update of Covid-19 and the efforts, the Federal Government is putting in place to curtail it.
He hinted that, several persons who had COVID-19 have been successfully treated and discharged, as proof that most people do survive the disease. I again request the cooperation of those who test positive, with health officials to accept any of the designated isolation and treatment centres, even if you feel very well.
According to him, “The recent marked increase in the numbers of new COVID-19 cases is due likely, to scaled-up implementation of our new case-finding strategy, as well as the result of rising community transmission. With house-to-house and cluster testing, and using the revised criteria for sample collection, yield has increased.”
“More people with COVID-19 are being detected and transferred to treatment centres. There will still be more social mobilization for community testing at grassroots level and Isolation of positive cases. We shall ensure the right message is disseminated to control ongoing transmission.”
“Infected persons also need not hide themselves at home till their condition so deteriorates that they have to be rushed to the hospital in critical state. Some among the fatalities we have seen could have been saved if they were presented earlier.”
“It bears restating that persons who have fever of unclear origin and cough should first put on a mask or a face covering of any type, isolate themselves from friends and family and call the national emergency number 112, or the NCDC toll free number 08009700 0010, or report themselves to the nearest health facility for referral.”
“In the interest of the general public, the Ministry of Health, through Nigeria Centre for Disease Control reserves the right to investigate suspected cases of COVID-19, who are not complying with advisory.”
“In addition, I also urge citizens not to pay attention to rumours and sensationalism, just as I advise purveyors of fake news, to desist from spreading fake news or misinformation that cause fear and panic.”
“As of today, 17th April, 2020, a total of 442 people in 20 states have been confirmed to have COVID-19. The 35 new confirmations are distributed as follows: 19 in Lagos, 9 in FCT, 5 in Kano and 2 in Oyo. 13 deaths, all with comorbidities, have been recorded so far, and 152 people have recovered from COVID-19 in Nigeria and have been discharged.”
“This means there are 277 persons who have COVID-19 being cared for in our isolation and treatment centres across the country”, he noted.
He commended health workers, particularly the frontline health workers who have been managing our patients, and urge all citizens to remember public health advisories and the social measures and regulations around the lockdown.
Similarly, the Director General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) , Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu said the agency has developed a National Strategy to scale up Covid-19 testing.
He added that, they have restructured the way of carrying out Infectious diseases in Nigeria.
According to him, every laboratory we commission now is read to test HIV, Tuberculosis, Covid-19 and many more. Saying, we have laboratories that are ready for any Infectious disease we might face.
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