Fred Itua and Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye Abuja
The Senate, yesterday, declared Nigeria unprepared for the ravaging Coronavirus, otherwise known as COVID-19.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan passed the grim verdict when the leadership of the upper chamber undertook a tour of isolation centres located at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, Abuja.
Coronavirus, first found in Wuhan, China, has spread to the United States of America, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Canada, the Philippines and Australia, among others, is a new strain of a virus that has not been previously identified in humans.
Speaking to journalists after an inspection of two facilities, Lawan bemoaned the lack of preparedness and expressed frustration at the state of the isolation centres that were yet to be completed.
He expressed frustration that Nigeria, despite being a country with the largest economy in Africa, was yet to have an isolation centre in any of the geo-political zones that would provide emergency response to disease outbreaks in the country.
“There is no way that Nigeria, the largest economy in Africa, with a population of 200 million, and yet the Federal Capital and six surrounding states of the North-Central don’t have one room that you can call an isolation centre, where anyone who unfortunately falls into this crisis will be taken to. This is not acceptable,” he said.
On the findings of the Senate leadership, Lawan stated that: “First of all, let me say that the representatives of the Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the management of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital are in high spirits, looking determined to discharge their mandates and obligations.
“But from our inspection here, the temporary isolation centre is really not in good shape, it doesn’t look ready to receive any patient, and I believe that this is something that we need to fix between now and tomorrow (today).
“We are in an emergency, even if we don’t have people who are affected, we shouldn’t just rest on our oars. We have to do everything and anything possible to fix that temporary isolation centre to be prepared to receive anyone who falls sick in this respect.”
He charged those saddled with the responsibility to live up to expectations through timely discharge of their duties.
To salvage the situation, Lawan asked the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, to immediately release N620 million to the NCDC, an amount budgeted for emergency response to the Coronavirus outbreak.
The Senate President said, as leaders with responsibilities, they ought to do what is right: “This is unfortunate. So, the Ministry of Finance should release the N620 million between today and tomorrow.”
Lawan assured Nigerians that the relevant committees of the Senate would carry out a follow-up on today to ensure that the isolation centres is completed.
Meanwhile, in line with measures to forestall the spread of Coronavirus, four Chinese nationals have been quarantined at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital.
They are being held in a separate facility even though they tested negative to the dreaded virus, an official said.
The yet-to-be identified Chinese were said to have symptoms of the pneumonia-like disease upon arrival on Tuesday after a spot check at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja.
They were brought into a holding facility at the teaching hospital by 4:30 p.m., according to Mr. Sulai, a staff of the information unit.
“They tested negative for the virus but they are being quarantined for the next 14 days at a separate facility, as a necessary precaution,” Sulai, who refused to give his surname, said
Sulai said the hospital, in conjunction with the World Health Organisation, would provide more details of the issue today when the “Monthly Clinical Presentation on Coronavirus” is billed to hold.
Villa screens staff, council members, others
Following the confirmation of the first reported COVID-19 case in Lagos, the first in sub-Saharan Africa, members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), visitors, and staff entering the Presidential Villa were screened for the virus yesterday.
Family members and visitors that came to witness the swearing in of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Omolara Yemi-Esan, were first screened and given hand sanitizers before being allowed into the State House Council Chambers, Abuja.
The Federal Government, last week, announced that it had acquired the necessary reagents to test for the presence of COVID-19 in suspected patients.
The three designated laboratories are in Lagos, Abuja and Irrua, in Edo State, to handle such tests.
Government had gone ahead to commence the construction of special centres for treatment of the disease in Lagos and other parts of the country, including Abuja, the nation’s seat of power.