Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has set up an Ebola emergency preparedness and response committee, with Deputy Governor Dennis Idahosa as chairman.
The committee will coordinate the state’s preparations and response to any Ebola threat through the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre. Its work will cover surveillance, infection prevention and control, laboratory services, case management and risk communication.
Channels Television reported the decision on Friday, October 23, citing a statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Patrick Ebojele. The statement describes a preparedness measure; it does not announce an Ebola case in Edo.
Hospitals represented include the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Edo State University Teaching Hospital, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Uselu, Edo Specialist Hospital, Central Hospital in Benin and Stella Obasanjo Hospital.
The membership also draws from the ministries of Health, Environment, Livestock, Local Government, Finance, and Information and Communication, alongside the Assembly’s health committee and the governor’s Special Adviser on Health. Emergency management, port health and public information agencies are represented.
The Department of State Services, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Police Force and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps will sit on the committee. Medical and nursing associations and private medical practitioners are also included.
The statement lists the WHO, UNICEF, Nigeria Red Cross Society, DataFi, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and Edo’s primary health care agency among the partners and agencies represented. Traditional, Christian, Muslim and market women’s representatives are also members.
A manager will oversee operations at the emergency centre, whose responsibilities also include logistics and safe and dignified burial. Ebojele said a meeting on Ebola emergency preparedness and response would be scheduled for the committee.
Source: Channels Television
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