By Joyce Remi- Babayeju
Abuja ( Sundiata Post) Amid the COVID-19 pandemic containment in Kogi State, some hoodlums have reportedly attacked the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Lokoja causing patients and medical workers on duty panic as they scamper for safety.
Chairman of the Presidential Task Force, COVID-19, Mr Boss Mustapha during the National Press Briefing on COVID-19 disclosed this in Abuja today.
Speaking on the attack on the medical centre, Mustapha said, “The PTF has received with great concern, reports about the attack on the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, Kogi State by some hoodlums.”
He said, “The PTF is particularly distressed and regrets the trauma to which medical workers, patients and others who went on their legitimate businesses were subjected”, assuring that security agencies have been tasked with the responsibility for fishing out the criminal elements behind it and they will be brought to justice.”
“The PTF salutes all medical workers and thank them for the selfless, high risk job they are handling for humanity. We remain proud of all of you and we assure you once more of the nation’s support.”
The PTF also uses this opportunity to appeal to all health workers and authorities of health care facilities to help reduce avoidable fatalities occurring from non-COVID-19 related conditions, by attending to all patients while still observing the COVID-19 protocols, he said.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire has alerted the covid-19 statistics are expected to rise further with improved testing, but that it is a sign that COVID-19 is actually expanding faster than our systems are handing it.
Ehanire disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Health plans to focus more on minimizing fatalities by prioritizing preemptive admission to hospital for medical observation, all persons who test positive for COVID-19 and meet our definition of vulnerability, even if they do not yet have classical symptoms.
This category of persons include the elderly, diabetics, asthmatics and persons in treatment for chronic infections and conditions, adding that this population group will also be targeted for risk communication and engagement to avoid nonessential travel and exposure to risk factors outside the home.
The minister condemned reported cases of very sick persons rejected at from hospitals lately particularly those who have died outside or on the way due to denied attention in more than one hospital, adding that it is not acceptable that persons lose their lives to health conditions which could possibly have been cured, or may not even have been covid related.
He informed that efforts are being made to ensure that no patient be denied treatment or rejected, and that all health workers will be trained and retrained on Infection Prevention and control and issued PPEs and materials required for discharge of their duties.
In addition to this, all government hospitals in FCT will become covid sample collection sites, so that walk-in cases can have samples taken to be forwarded to NCDC for testing. This assures users and caregivers of reduced bottlenecks and improved, Ehanire said.
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