Ebola: NMA tasks FG to focus on monitoring borders, ports to curtail spread

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has tasked the Federal Government to police the country’s borders and ports so that further spread of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) can be averted.
This call was yesterday made by the medical practitioners in a communique issued at the end of the National Executive Council meeting in Awka, Anambra State.
Speaking with newsmen, the national president of the Association, Dr Kayode Obembe, commended the federal and Lagos state governments for the manner they responded to the outbreak of the health challenge, but observed that essential structures and framework for containing the outbreak on a national scale were not yet in place.
The NMA restated its commitment towards the health of Nigerians, stressing that it would join forces with governments and their agencies to prevent the spread of EVD to other parts of the country.
It stated that the NMA had put in place a national EVD Response Committee, headed by Prof Michael Asuzu, and similar committees at the state levels as part of way it is responding to the outbreak.
The body further appreciated the federal government and Dangote group for the N1.9bn intervention fund and the N152, 956, 250 for the setting up of National Ebola Operations Centre in Lagos, respectively.
It also revealed that the controversy which trailed the establishment of the office of the Surgeon-General of the Federation was regrettable, adding that had the office been created, it would have had a nationwide structure in place, to promote the enforcement of public health issues and combat emergencies like the EVD.
The association condemned casualisation of the medical profession as being experienced in Lagos and some other parts of the country and urged an immediate end to the practice.
The communiqué reads in part: “The importation of EVD to Nigeria clearly demonstrates that we are very prone and more at risk really in the Ebola virus as a¸ open to several diplomatic and international travels.
“We therefore call on the FG to police the nation’s borders and ports to avert a further spread of the disease.
“NEC, therefore, calls on the FG to take steps to further ensure the creation of functional EVD control committees at all levels of government.
“We are deeply concerned that many states are yet to establish reliable isolation facilities and the relative unavailability of Personal Protective Equipment,” it stated.
For the chairman of the body in Anambra State-Dr Eric Anazodo, the NEC meeting, which centred on Ebola was successful, even as he urged all Nigerians to be alert and lead healthy lifestyles, in order to enhance prevention of the EVD.

He further called on the media to partner with the NMA through sensitizing the populace with correct information concerning the virus.