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Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has suggested that Federal Government commence the process that would herald the unbundling of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to offer more efficient and effective services to Nigerians.
Last week, the President, Commonwealth Medical Association (CMA), Dr. Osahon Enabulele, made same suggestion to government after he toured the medical facilities in Abuja, ahead of response to increasing cases of coronavirus in Abuja.
He observed that the speed of response to calls and other request for services on account of the recent coronavirus outbreak has exposed the level of manpower, state of preparedness and readiness of NCDC to respond to epidemic emergencies.
Meanwhile, the NMA FCT Chairman, Dr. Philip Ekpe, told journalists at the end of their executive meeting in Abuja, on Friday, that the unbundling should be with regards to laboratory testing and approval being granted by Federal Ministry of Health for facilities with Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machine to conduct the testing.
He explained that the emergency executive meeting was at the instance of the ongoing coronavirus (Covid-19) infection, to particularly discuss ways to stem the tide of the pandemic and also appraise the efforts so far geared towards the containment of the infection.
He said: “The essence of our suggestion is to decentralize testing in order not to lose probable cases to the community and reduced waiting time for confirmation.”
He, however, observed that there was poor awareness/sensitization in the FCT suburbs/rural areas about Covid-19 infection, thus making case for increased awareness/sensitization, as well as strict adherence to social distancing practice especially in the suburbs and rural communities in FCT.
He, thus called the attention of government to paucity of Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs) including face masks, hand sanitizers and other necessary protective items, and made case for a special provision of life insurance to all volunteers that would be used to respond to outbreak.
