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Fred Itua, Abuja
The Senate, yesterday, raised the alarm over a possible outbreak of Coronavirus in the face of alleged non-screening of passengers of chartered flights on arrival into the country.
It consequently ordered Minister of Health, Ehanire Osagie, to deploy health officials to the nation’s international airports for the required screening of passengers on chartered flights since those who come in on commercial flights were already being well monitored.
Giving the charge during an interactive session with the Health Minister on the level of preparedness of the Ministry in preventing the virus from being imported into the country, Chairman of the Senate committee on Health, Ibrahim Oloriegbe, said the absence of health services at the private terminal could make for easy movement of infected bodies into the country.
The minister, he said, should deploy health officials to private tarmacs and conduct screening of VIPs on chartered flight stressing that Coronavirus was both a national and global health emergency.
“The ministry of health and the director of port services Dr. Morenike Alex-Okoh should also ensure ambulances are provided for Port Harcourt and Kano international airports for evacuation of people during Emergency .
“The ministry should also furnish the Senate with the details of her budget to show how it has complied with provisions of all equipment to be ready to contain the virus,” he said.
The committee’s marching orders were sequel to disclosures made by an official from the Ministry , Dr Morenike Alex – Okoh , on their incapacitation as regards screening of Chartered flights passengers on arrival .
The minister said the Federal Government was considering a N620 million special intervention fund for the ministry health to monitor, detect if possible and contain the dreaded Coronavirus.
