Medical doctors, under the aegis of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Edo state, have called on the state governor, Godwin Obaseki, to shutdown all its boundaries to stop further spread of the coronavirus in the state.
The association said the breakdown of confirmed cases indicates that Edo leads other states in the South-South region.
Daily Trust reports that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had on Monday night said that there were 238 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country with 35 discharged and five deaths. According to the centre, there are currently 11 confirmed cases in Edo state.
The NMA chairman in the state, Dr. Valentine Omoifo, in a statement on Tuesday, attributed the increasing numbers of confirmed cases to new entrants into the state including those they have had contacts with.
“We reiterate the earlier advice given by the NMA on the need to close all boundaries leading into Edo state. Sadly, Edo State continues to have increasing numbers of cases largely from new entrants into the state or those they have had contacts with,” he stated.
According to him, the measures put in place by the state government to enforce the ‘sit-at-home’ order and Social Distance order have been largely ineffective.
Dr. Omoifo noted that there is an urgent need to provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for doctors and other frontline medical staff in all hospitals across the state.
He however urged the state government to heed NMA’s advice on the need to close all boundaries leading into Edo state.
Meanwhile, the state government through the Commissioner for Health, Patrick Okundia, said the failure of residents to complying with the government’s ‘stay-at-home’ order was responsible for the new cases recorded in the state.
He appealed to residents to support government’s efforts at curtailing the spread by complying with government guidelines including the stay-at-home and social distancing directives.
In a related development, the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) said it has put in place a 9-bed facility to handle cases of COVID-19 in the institution following the rising cases in state.
Briefing journalists after a tour of the facility inside the hospital, the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) UBTH, Prof. Casmir Omuemu, said the health workers have been adequately trained to carry out their duties professionally.
He solicited for donations of medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) from the federal government and corporate organisation to support the hospital in the fight against the viral disease.
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