The Federal Government has expressed focus on its international airport in a bid to prevent the importation of the coronavirus epidemic into the country.
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, made this known during the tour of the Medical Facility at Mainland Hospital in Lagos in preparedness for the combat of Coronavirus, held yesterday in Lagos.
Dr Osagie noted that it is not to shy away from the possibilities of the spread through the land and sea borders.
He noted that the country’s first line of defence is the port health services, with the screening of strangers particularly from China entering into the country,
Ehanire, however, said that the screening should not be aggregated with profiling, adding that frequent travellers to China should be delayed for further notice for the purpose of risk reduction.
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“After our risk assessment, we came to the conclusion that a protective gateway of importation would be by air.
“We are focusing on our airports and in this case, our international airport. We have five international airports. Four are active while the fifth one is closed for maintenance and the largest of them is Lagos followed by Abuja and then Kano. So, these are the areas where we are focusing on.
“I have been to Abuja Teaching Hospital which is our designated isolation hospital. We have been to the hospital in Kano and we are here in Lagos.
“We are not expecting that we would get an importation through the land border. We are not ruling it out neither are we ruling out the sea border.
“Our first line of defence is the port health services, the ones who will be there to screen any strangers entering into this country. I said strangers particularly those who are coming from the orient with the special focus on China.
“By this, let me say that we are not profiling any people. There are several hundredths of Nigerians in China who are entitled to come home. There are several businessmen of several nationalities doing business in China and Nigeria.
“So, we are focusing on individuals. Let me reiterate here that all known frequent travellers to China should be delayed until further notice so that we reduce this risk,” Ehanire said.
The Minister also noted the country is not letting down its guard in spite of the successful treatment and discharge of over 2600 in China.
Osagie added that the country’s concern is the risk of the epidemic entering the country; hence, the rationale behind his meeting with the stakeholders through a multi-sectoral and inter-ministerial interface.
“As of last information, the Chinese has successfully treated over 2600 and discharged them. But despite that, we are not letting down our guard.
“The concern of our country is about the risk of that disease entering this country and what do we do if we get coronavirus imported into Nigeria.
“The speed at which coronavirus has spread very rapidly to faraway places like United States, Russia, Australia and so on. And also that no one is really sure how to cure, handle or treat it.
“And of course, for those who are the leaders of the country, the idea is how do we protect our people from such a problem.
“It is because of that I have been talking to all stakeholders in this environment within the inter-ministerial and multi-sectoral meeting some days ago in which all those who have anything to do with movement of people came together to find ways of creating strategy to take us through if being faced with such a situation,” He said.
While debunking coronavirus rumour in Egbeda area of Lagos State, The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, noted it is fake news as biosecurity were deployed and medical intelligence gathered.
He, therefore, appealed to Lagosians and Nigerians to desist from spreading rumours, describing it as damaging and panic-enabler in the community.
“We had the same rumour and we have deployed our bio-security there yesterday and they have gathered a lot of medical intelligence in our community. So far, it appears to us that there is no such thing and that it was fake news.
“I would use this opportunity to appeal to Lagosians and Nigerians that when you spread this false rumour, it is actually damaging.
“It is testing our capacity to respond but it is also expensive and can set panic in the community apart from the stigmatisation it causes,” Abayomi said.
The Commissioner, however, stated that is being proactive rather than being reactive as it is watching China closely and upscaling its facility at Mainland Hospital with more bed spaces being added.
He added that staff are being trained and surveillance system installed in the state, supporting the Federal Government with staff at the Airport in order to enforce screening.
“We are watching China very closely and we just rather be ready than being sorry. It is better to be proactive rather than being reactive.
“We are optimistic that we would not see a serious situation happening in Lagos State. But should that happened, our facility at Mainland Hospital where we have our containment facility is being rapidly upscaled and we have been building more bed space because we have no idea of what is going to happen.
“We have been working very hard since the experience we had with Ebola. Since four years ago, we have been building capacities, building infrastructure, revising our legislative arms to ensure we have correct policy guidelines and framework.
“We have been training staff to deal with these kinds of dangerous outbreaks like Ebola, Monkeypox, Lassa, Corona if it comes here.
“We have got the facility. We have got the trained staff and surveillance system in the state, now supporting the Federal Government with staff at the airport just to make sure anyone coming into Lagos goes through the thorough screening process,” Akin said.
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