Dr Ihekweazu, NCDC boss visits Delta, commends Okowa’s efforts at curbing the spread of COVID-19

By Ovasa Ogaga,

The Director-General, Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu has commended the Delta State Government for its efforts so far at containing the spread of the Coronavirus in the state.

Dr Ihekweazu, who was accompanied by Dr Fiona Braka Fiona, Officer in Charge, World Health Organization (WHO), Nigeria Country Office, gave the commendation today (Sunday) in Asaba during his working visit to Delta State.

He said the ability of the state to record such few cases was due to its deliberate but concerted efforts and urged the state to keep it up.

He said they were in the state to get first-hand information on the activities and challenges of the Delta State Emergency Operation Committee with a view to giving technical support to help address them.

Earlier, the Delta Commissioner for Health, Dr Mordi Ononye, in his address, welcomed the Director-General and his entourage and appreciated NCDC and WHO for their technical and other assistance to the state so far.

After a closed-door meeting, the team embarked on a field visit to the COVID 19 holding and treatment centres at the Federal Medical Center, and Asaba Specialist Hospital both in Asaba.

Speaking with members of the press after the facility-tour, Dr Ihekweazu stressed that the role of NCDC was to encourage and support states on their preparedness to curb the spread of the virus.

ALSO READ: COVID-19: Okowa’s timely lockdown of Delta saved a lot of Deltans -Ayemidejor 

He stated that the role of NCDC is to serve the whole country, help prepare for the worst and at the same time hope for the best.

On the case of every state being potentially affected, the NCDC boss said ‘Borders are drawn for political reasons in order to provide governance for people and bacterias and viruses don’t recognize such.’

On her part, Dr Fiona Braka, Officer in Charge, WHO, Country Office, Nigeria appealed to Deltans to remain vigilant saying the risks were still very high.

According to her, ‘We are here to ensure that what is recommended globally, we contextualize it to the  country level looking at capacities and risks and scale up this process in a manner that the capacity the country can manage.’

‘Working with NCDC to see how we can ramp up this process, certainly Delta will be among those states that will be critically looked up for testing capacity.’