BREAKING: PLEASE DONATE YOUR BUILDINGS AS ISOLATION CENTRE - HEALTH MINISTER
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, on Thursday, 1st May asked Nigerians to donate their buildings as isolation centres.
Ehanire made this appeal while speaking at the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, in Abuja.
The health minister predicts that the country would need more isolation centres as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) aims to hit a target of two million tests in the next three months.
He urged Nigerians not to leave the burden on the government, adding that the buildings will be used only temporarily.
"It is of concern to us all that everything should not be left to government alone. We must all take collective ownership of the health and well being of our citizens."
However, he said that the facilities are not out of space but making appeal ahead in case of unforeseen cases.
During the event, the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Chikwe Ihekweazu, announced that it is currently struggling with a shortage of bed spaces for treatment of COVID-19 patients in Lagos State which is the epicentre of the pandemic in Nigeria.
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Ihekweazu said that the Agency is considering the management of COVID-19 patients in their homes under strict instructions.
Read Also: NCDC IS STRUGGLING FOR BED SPACES IN ISOLATION CENTERS, MIGHT START TREATING PATIENTS AT HOME-DG
The health minister said that he is aware of negotiations of hazard allowance increment by health workers on the frontline of COVID-19, but said it did not include that of environmental health personnel.
Ehanire concluded by saying that the test capacity of 15 laboratories in Nigeria had reached 2500.
According to the NCDC, Nigeria has so far carried out 15759 coronavirus tests in the country.
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