Edo State Government has set up screening facilities in six primary healthcare centres (PHCs) and four private hospitals in Benin as part of efforts to curtail the spread of coronavirus.

Commissioner for Health, Patrick Okundia, who disclosed this to newsmen in Benin, the state capital, said modalities, to scale up screening services across the 18 local government areas (LGAs), are being worked out.

The screening centres were set up in Aruogba, Oko, Ugbor, Oredo, New Benin and Ikpema PHCs, while the private hospitals include St. Philomena, Faith Mediplex, Bethel Faith and Safe Haven.

According to the commissioner, the government decided to embark on massive screening for coronavirus across the state in order to ensure effective containment efforts, noting that mobile target population-based screening will commence soon across the 18 councils of the state.

Related News

He decried the low compliance with the sit-at-home and social distancing directive, urging residents to support the state government’s efforts aimed at curtailing the spread of the virus.

Okundia said: “The state government has taken serious steps to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Edo currently boasts of four designated isolation centres, including the General Hospital, Auchi; Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital; University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) and the Stella Obansajo Hospital.

“Training of healthcare workers across the 18 LGAs on COVID-19 response has been concluded and our laboratory capacity is being strengthened and training of laboratory personnel is ongoing by National Centre for Disease Control, World Health Organisation and other partners; three more PCR machines have been paid for by the government and the delivery is being expected.

“Screening facilities (questionnaire-based) have been set up in six PHC centres and four private health facilities in Oredo LGA, while scale up across the 18 LGAs is being worked out.”