As part of measures to curtail the spread of Coronavirus in Benue State, the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), has advised that Benue State government to introduce neighborhood watch and expand testing by decentralizing sample collection process and random sampling.
Contact person and Technical Assistant of the centre attached to the State, Mr. Steve Abah made the recommendation on Wednesday, during a presentation of Summary of Activities of Benue State Covid-19 Response at Government House in Makurdi.
Abah who commended the State government for its efforts in the fight against Coronavirus said more should be done by improving laboratories, introduction of neighborhood watch, establishment of zonal treatment centres in the three Senatorial zones of the State for increased efficiency as well as institutionalization of use of face mask and strict observance of social distancing.
The NCDC official also noted that government commitment in the area of funding saying advocacy and information dissemination were also high.
Abah, who regretted that Benue State is faced with porous borders because of its boundaries with many states as well as the high rate of internally displaced persons, also observed that the state needed to do more in the area of clinical and isolation management as it must prepare for the worst case scenery.
He intimated that NCDC has trained over 200 workers including doctors and nurses, Investigated 45 persons, 60 rumors, carried out 48 samples and done follow up on 30 staff of Grace Cottage Hospital who were quarantined as a result of their contact with the index case, stating that they have all been discharged.
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The State Deputy Governor and Chairman, Action Committee on Covid-19 Mr. Benson Abounu said the state has distributed three trucks of rice to the three senatorial zones with one sent to their headquarters in Katsina-Ala, Gboko and Otukpo.
He also added that the state is expecting large quantity of rice, semovita, noodles, sugar, Tomatoe Paste and salt from Dangote Group for which the State has paid 1 million naira for its transportation.
He intimated the State has spent over 60 million, 20 each for establishment of Isolation center, part payment for center at the Benue State as well as procurement of locally made face masks from Cross River Garment center.
“We are expecting 100,000 face mask from Cross River, an additional 10,000 mask from the same government which promised to give free face mask to States bordering her. In all, we will have 170,000 face mask at the weekend to be distributed free of charge to Benue people”, he announced.
Responding, Governor Samuel Ortom lauded the Action Committee for their effort and announced an additional N50 million to help them continue.
