COVID-19: FG says cases may overwhelm facilities

The Federal Government on Thursday cautioned Nigerians that insufficient facilities for case management might soon arise in states as community transmission has resulted in high number of confirmed cases.

The Minster of State for Health, Sen. Olorunnimbe Mamora, said this at the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 daily briefing in Abuja.

Mamora said that considering the importance of managing cases in facilities, the Ministry of Health through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), had developed a guideline for the establishment of Community Support Centres.

“A central objective of this guideline is the establishment of Community Support Centres (CSCs) in selected clusters of Local Government Areas for the management of COVID-19 cases.

“These CSCs will strengthen the capacity of the health system at the community level to respond to the outbreak and result in the reduction of the transmission of COVID-19 within communities in high burden and high density states,” he said.

The minister said that the council had approved the Health Sector COVID-19 Pandemic Response Action Plan which was developed by the ministry in collaboration with departments and agencies to present one response in the health sector delivered in a coordinated and strategic manner.

“As the number of deaths related to COVID-19 cases in Nigeria continue to rise, I am urging citizens especially those who are in doubt to take extra pre-caution in their daily activities.”

“We must daily be reminded of challenges COVID-19 poses to Nigeria and the world, and further reinforce our resolve to tackle the pandemic.”

“We can reduce case fatality in Nigeria, if non-pharmaceutical interventions are scaled up and we become more proactive in dealing with positive cases.”

“We can scale up testing, tracing, treatment and isolation, with priority on offering more protection to elderly citizens and those with co-morbidities, from the threat of infection,” he stated.

It was reported that had Nigeria confirmed 649 new cases bringing the total number of cases in the country to 22,020.

The country have so far successfully treated and discharged 7,613 persons, while 542 deaths have been recorded.