Coronavirus: Edo deploys health officials to airport, motor- parks
The Edo state government has intensified its campaigns against the spread of the coronavirus and has deployed health officials to the Benin Airport and all the motor parts in the state to screen travellers coming into the state.
Deputy Governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu said this during a meeting with stakeholders in the health sector and the representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO) at Government House, Benin City.
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Shaibu said that “coronavirus is completely different from Lassa fever. Contact is also there, but the sneezing and coughing is one critical thing we need to look at. From the state government’s end, we are very cautious of those entering our state.
“We are also looking at the motor -parks and the Benin Airport. We need to start our screening from all the entry points into the state. Our health workers and our partners will be deployed to these flash -points.
“If any case is reported in any of the motor- parks or the airport; if any passenger is suspected, our team in these parks will have to quarantine them. We will also commence temperature checks in our motor- parks and the Benin Airport to be sure that those coming in and out are free from the disease.
“We will intensify public sensitisation on Monday. The purpose of this meeting is really to step up the level of preparedness from our health experts.”
He added that the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital is going to be a centre for screening of any suspected cases of coronavirus, adding that “we need to know how prepared they are. The public also needs to know that the Irrua Specialist Hospital is one of those hospitals that any suspected case will be taken for screening.”
Chief Medical Director of Irrua Specialist Hospital, Prof. Sylvanus Okogbeni, assured that the hospital is capable of carrying out the diagnosis for the coronavirus.
Okogbeni noted that because of the way the coronavirus spreads without symptoms, a patient can still spread it, adding further that “a large number of people are going to be quarantined for a long time and we can educate people on self-quarantine.”
State Coordinator of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Mrs. Faith Ireye, appealed that the manifest of the airline that was boarded by the Italian carrier of the disease should be made available to the state government, since Italy is the second home of Edo people.
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Patrick Okundia, at an earlier press conference, said the state government has already put measures in place to check the spread of the novel coronavirus which can be transmitted from person to person, usually after close contact with an infected patient.
Okundia noted the state government is sensitising staff of the Benin Airport on the screening modalities for air travellers, adding that “there are ongoing awareness creation and sensitisation campaign on the novel coronavirus in various news media as well as sensitisation of healthcare workers across the health facilities in the 18 local government areas of Edo state.”
He advised residents to contact the following numbers for more information, director of disease control on 08084096723; state epidemiologist on 08064258163, acting state DSNO on 07015216386, and the WHO state coordinator on 08035835529.
