Prepare for the worst, FG warns Nigerians

TRACKING…Cautions against home-based solutions

…Says all hands must be on deck to curtail spread of pandemic

As the Coronavirus pandemic also referred to as COVID-19 continues to spread rapidly across the country, the Federal Government, on Tuesday, warned Nigerians to prepare for the worst.

The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, who gave this warning during the daily briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, stressed the need for all hands to be on deck to curtail the virus.

He said that aside deaths caused by underlying illnesses, available statistics show that most COVID-19 fatalities recorded are as a result of adopting home-based solutions before seeking medical intervention.

Dr. Ehanire revealed that not only do these home-based solutions complicate the situation but more disappointing is that most people engaging this approach for treating COVID-19 are educated and well-to-do Nigerians.

He urged citizens to seek medical attention once they notice that they have started to develop symptoms of the virus.

He said: “1,644 patients have been treated and discharged from care, but we have sadly recorded 191 deaths in 26 states and the FCT.

“Even though this figure seems low compared to other countries, a disturbing picture emerging from statistics is that not only are most fatalities observed to be linked with preexisting diseases, many are educated, well-to-do people, who chose home-based care, where they develop sudden complication and have to be rushed to hospital.

“Experience is showing that breathing complications in COVID-19 patients can arise with little or no notice. This is an added reason why all persons should seek medical attention when they test positive.

“Also, we do not at any points support self-medication, and if you hear that anybody is taking self-medication at any time, it is definitely something prescribed by his or her doctor. There are medicines that should not be in your hands normally unless they are prescribed by the doctor.

“There is a study being done about the efficacy of some drugs by five centres in our country and hydroxyl chloroquine is one of them. When the result comes out, I will share with you. But again, stay with what your doctor has prescribed and do not start self-medicating otherwise you can do serious harm to your own self”.

Whike urging members of the health sector and citizens to endeavour to use this period to dedicate efforts to strive for the best, the minister assured that the ministry will continue to strengthen its response in states.

“We will continue to strengthen our response in states. The Federal Ministry of Health and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) are assessing isolation centres all over the country, recently in Yenagoa and Oshogbo. We also continue providing diagnostic commodities and facilities in collaboration with partners.

“The Federal Ministry of Health places special priority on the maintenance of essential services in both private and public hospitals throughout the country, because of the serious harm that arises from neglecting routine healthcare services like reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH), immunisation, chronic disease management, all due to fear of COVID-19 or sole focus on COVID-19.”

He added that a study carried out by a research institution in the Federal Ministry of Health revealed that not all sanitisers in circulation are up to standard.

He also gave an advisory on identifying standard sanitisers in the market, stressing the importance of checking the NAFDAC number and ingredients used in producing the sanitiser.

“I will start by using the opportunity to issue an advisory on sanitiser. You will see a lot of sanitisers out in the market. A study carried out by research institution in the Ministry of Health has shown that not all of them are up to standard,” the Health minister added.