Abia State Government under Governor Okezie Victor Ikpeazu has taken proactive steps to ensure that the citizens and residents of Abia are safe from the COVID-19 pandemic even though the State does not have any record of the disease.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Joe Osuji who disclosed this while briefing members of the State House of Assembly on effors taken so far by the State Government against the Coronavirus pandemic.
Dr Joe Osuji revealed that there are currently three CONVID-19 isolation centers in the State located at Amachara General Hospital, Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, and the Abia State University Teaching Hospital, Aba.
According to him, “We have prepared ourselves, we have all we need should we have any unlikely record of the disease in Abia.
“We are using the health workers and health officers trained for Ebola Virus and Lassa Fever; we also have our personnel who are undergoing training on the Corona Virus in Lagos.”
The Commissioner maintained that a lot of sensitization have been done even in churches and town halls in the rural areas.
“We may not have the modalities to provide Isolation centers everywhere but we have emergency personnel stationed everywhere that can help in case of any emergency,” he said.
“We still pray and appeal to every Abian, if you have any Information, you have to disclose that Information so that we can follow up on the case”, he added.
The Commissioner said his Ministry has directed all private practitioners to refer any case to any of the tertiary isolation centers in the State.
On the steps being taken by the Ministry of Health to ensure that markets in Abia are not hit by the CONVID-19 disease, Dr Osuji said hand sanitizers have been sent out to the Ministry of Trade and Investment for onward distribution to the markets.
Dr. Osuji said although there are no testing kits in the state, what the ministry does is to courier the samples collected to the nearest Testing Center.
On their part, the Lawmakers advised the State Commissioner for Health to take steps on how to implement social distancing in Abia.
In his speech, the Speaker of the House, Rt Hon Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji said inasmuch as God saves, the State would continue to do the needful to keep our people safe.
He advised the Commissioner to be more forceful in implementing self Isolation and social distancing in the State.
“It is recommended that one washes their hands at least 20 times in a day during this pandemic.
“We will continue to pray to God so that temperature in our clime remains above 40 degree Celsius,” he stated.
Comments are closed.