COVID-19: We’ve Made Progress In Public Health Sector Growth - Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday lauded the efforts of the operators and managers of the nation’s healthcare sector, noting that much development had been recorded in the sector since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

Professor Osinbajo stated this at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Reference Laboratory, Gaduwa, Abuja, where he underwent a facility tour, of the facilities.

Osinbajo, who was accompanied by the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire; Minister of State for Health, Dr. Adeleke Olorunnimbe Mamora; and the Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, observed that the recent increasing cases of the infection, he warned that the country is in a critical situation.

According to a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Mr Laolu Akande, Osinbajo attributed the success so far recorded to the work of Nigeria’s health workers and experts across the nation.

He noted that the country has expanded its public health response capabilities and has been making progress in the public health sector since after the nation’s first COVID-19 case last year.

While noting “that we have a critical situation on our hands currently with the increasing number of cases being recorded”, the Vice President, however, added that a lot of progress has been made since Nigeria’s first case was reported in February 2020.

“We have activated nearly 120 laboratories nationwide – 70 of them public laboratories – and have significantly ramped up our testing and case management capacity.

“We have expanded the footprint of our sovereign public health response capabilities, especially at the subnational level and in areas where previously such capabilities did not exist. Not so long ago, test samples had to be flown out of the country for examination. This is no longer the case as we now have the capacity to process samples internally”, he said.

The Vice President observed that such an achievement should not be taken for granted, “but one that we are determined to consolidate on.”

He said, “this very facility is a testament to the strides that we have made during a short period. While we are not yet where we want to be as a nation, we are most certainly not where we were at the onset of the pandemic.”

Prof. Osinbajo applauded Nigeria’s public and private healthcare specialists and workers in the line of duty for ensuring the safety, cure and prevention of the majority of Nigerians from the COVID-19 virus, sometimes under extremely challenging circumstances.

He said, “thousands of health professionals have been working tirelessly on Nigeria’s COVID-19 public health response. From the people across sample collection sites and laboratories ensuring testing, and our dedicated physicians, nurses and other health workers in treatment centres, providing care to the sick, to our medical scientists that are conducting research on various aspects of this plague.

“We also have State Public Health Teams working hard to ensure data reporting and analysis, contact tracing, risk communications and so much more.

The Vice-President further urged Nigerians to continue to comply with COVID-19 non-pharmaceutical measures, urging all Nigerians to comply with the advice of “our scientists and healthcare professionals and to continue to take every measure to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.”

The Vice-President then assured that as a nation and people, “we will come through this period of our history as we have come through all previous seasons of adversity – by working together, protecting each other, believing in each other and committing to seeing better days ahead for our nation.”

During the tour of the facility in Gaduwa, the Federal Capital Territory, the Vice President was taken round the laboratories and also interacted with a select group of staff. He paid tribute to the memory of the late NCDC staff, Uche Njoku, who died in the course of service.