By Haruna Gimba
The Federal Government has announced that a ministerial team of experts would soon be dispatched to Kogi state to engage authorities of the state, to determine material and technical needs of the state on COVID-19.
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, made the announcement on Thursday in Abuja at a news conference by the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19.
Kogi State Government had alleged that officials of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) have refused to observe protocols in line with the containment of the coronavirus when they visited the state.
The allegation stirred up drama between the two parties as the NCDC officials left the state without adhering to terms and conditions, rolled out by Governor Yahaya Bello.
Following the development, Dr Ehanire said the committee would need to re-engage the governor and work with him and his team to create conditions with which the NCDC officials could complete their job.
The minister said that the ministry had developed key performance indicators to track surveillance, strategic activities and programmes.
He said that the ministry would also be working with states to establish protocols that would improve on communication and reporting.
Ehanire noted that the fact-finding team that was sent to Cross River had returned and that the ministry had been able to identify areas of need in the state.
He said that the state’s level of preparedness was reasonable.
“They have set up a committee on COVID-19 and have also started making face masks and Personal Protective Equipment.”
He, however, said that a new medical team had been assembled to take over the management of This Day Dome Treatment Centre.
“Surveillance, contact tracing and testing capacity is increasing in all states as more labs are being added to our network COVID-19 laboratories,” he said.
