Mr Doyin Okupe, a former Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to Nigeria’s former President Goodluck Jonathan, has said that the Federal Government needs to do more to prevent entry and curtail the spread of the coronavirus in the country.
Okupe, in a post on Facebook, noted that efforts of the Ministry of Health on the outbreak are welcomed, but he warned that the authorities need to be more cautious because many Nigerians travel to and from China where an outbreak has already killed over 900 people.
The post titled “Coronavirus: National Alert” reads: “The Coronavirus has recorded a heartbreaking record of over 900 deaths in China alone. The human traffic between Nigeria and China is huge. Nigeria expects some 30,000 Chinese personnel to return to Nigeria from holidays. Hundreds of Nigerians junket to and fro China on business trips.
“Herein lies the dangers to our society and its people.
“The statement from the Nigerian health authorities is welcoming but not exactly totally reassuring to some of us who are knowledgeable about how things work in government circles in Nigeria.
“I want to suggest the following.
“Minister of health must immediately summon and copy two known and tried experts on epidemic crisis management in Nigeria into whatever crisis management team that is being put in place: Prof Emeka Chukwu former minister of health when the famous Ebola virus broke out and his colleague, Dr Ipaye, the former commissioner for health during the same period. With these two personalities working in consonance with the present leadership of the health team, key tested officials nationwide can be assembled to prepare to handle any coronavirus epidemic that may surface in future.
“We need to put in place immediately facilities close to our international airport that can quarantine up to between 3000 to 5000 people at a time. It can be replicated in designated international airports elsewhere, in the country.
“Train at least 1000 staff that can handle and screen potential carriers.
“Acquire machines and equipment that can screen effectively and quickly some 1000 potential patients in 24 hours.
“All foreign nationals including Chinese citizens must be quarantined and screened on arrival.
“All Nigerians and foreign nationals, who are arriving in Nigeria with any airline and have recently visited China must also be quarantined and screened. There should be no exceptions to the above rules.
“Put up or acquire a large medical facility, temporary or permanent structure, that can be used to treat any proven infected persons.
“If these preventive measures are considered along with policy positions already on the ground and/or in the pipeline, it will save millions of possible deaths that may ravage our nation should this evil scourge find its ways to our shores.
“Please share this piece if you believe it will help our country and it’s people.
“May the Almighty God put His mark on our nation as he did to Israelites in Egypt and death passed them by. Amen.”