Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, has expressed concern over the death of three health workers due to Covid-19, and infection of 24 others in the State.
He spoke during a meeting with the State Covid-19 Response Committee, officials of World Health Organisation (WHO) and other stakeholders in the State capital, Abakaliki, on Monday.
Umahi blamed the rising cases of the virus in the state on carelessness and nonchalant attitude of the public toward the pandemic, urging residents to take responsible action to stop further spread of the virus.
According to him, “you will see a husband that is infected with Covid-19 feeling that it’s the time to increase his love life with his wife and vice-versa.
“Our people should know that no matter how much you love your wife or children, on the judgment day you will not answer for them,” he said.
The governor also regretted that despite the alarming increase of the infection in the state, people still have wrong notion about the disease.
“People say on the social media that we upload the numbers to get money but nobody has given me one kobo, except donations from individuals and the Federal Government, such as rice.
“Every fund spent on this Covid-19 fight is uploaded into the state government’s website and is disbursed through committees,” he said.
He explained that that with the manifestation community transmission, the state has to change tactics, to effectively check the situation.
“I am putting forward several recommendations for your consideration which include: concerted efforts to complete renovation of our general hospitals and embarking on house to house monitoring of people who show Covid-19 signs.
“We should daily identify them in our communities and send them to isolation centres through an effective community identification programme,” he said.
He said government has approved N105 million for the purchase of some equipment such as oxygen and blood pressure monitor for the general hospitals at Ikwo, Ishiellu and Onicha LGAs.
“We can also procure ultra sound, X-ray machines among others and station them at each of the three senatorial zones while the committee should meet and recommend the equipment we should purchase,” Umahi said.
On his part, Ebonyi State Commissioner for Health, Dr Daniel Umezurike, explained the state was among the highest testing states in coutry.
“We are one of the highest testing states in the country and stayed two months before recording the first case after the index case was reported in the country.
“We have tested 3, 369 samples and despite recording a total of 503 cases, we have effectively managed and discharged 111 cases after they tested negative,” he said.
Figures released by Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Sunday showed that Ebonyi recorded 68 new cases of the virus on Sunday bringing its total Covid-19 cases to 395.
The country recorded 490 cases on Sunday bringing total national tally to 24,567 confirmed cases. Lagos leads amongst the states with 10,144 confirmed cases.
