The federal government has said that it has commenced the oxygen availability intervention plan for all the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Minister of State, Health, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, represented by the Director, Hospital Services, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Adebimpe Adebiyi, said this on Thursday in Abuja at the joint national briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.
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Dr Adebiyi expressed optimism that Nigeria would benefit from the “first wave” of the COVAX vaccine allocation which countries have started rolling out.
According to him, government was exploring all available options to acquire vaccines for Nigerians.
She said: “The implementation of the oxygen availability intervention plan for all the states plus FCT as approved by the federal government has commenced.
“Facilities will be prioritised based on the severity of the gaps identified such as degree of need or the degree of unavailability oxygen determines the first or early beneficiaries of the intervention.
“Some countries have started rolling out vaccines and Nigeria is exploring all available options to acquire vaccines for our people.
“We are confident that Nigeria will benefit from the ‘first wave’ of the COVAX vaccine allocation.
“We have therefore begun preparations for readiness to receive the vaccines.
“These include appropriate regulatory framework and ensuring the availability of the necessary assets and infrastructure.
“Let me remind us that until the vaccines are available for everyone, the best option to beat this disease is to observe non- pharmaceutical measures.
Wear your face masks to cover your mouth and nose, observe respiratory hygiene, avoid crowded places and maintain physical distancing.”
