By Daniel Tyokua
The Federal Capital Territory Health and Human Services Secretariat (HHSS), has donated Personal Protective Equipment ,PPE, to health workers in 239 Primary health centres within the territory.
Dr. Mohammed Kawu, Acting secretary, FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat during the donation on Wednesday, described
area councils as the battle ground in the fight against the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic in the nation’s capital.
He said the assorted Personal Protective Equipment were donated across the territory as part of measures to safeguard health workers.
Kawu, however commended spirited Nigerians and corporate organisations for their support since the outbreak of coronavirus in the territory, noting that such display of corporate social responsibility has aided the FCT Administration’s battle against the pandemic.
“This fight against the dreaded pandemic is no longer news to us but a global fight, and we in the FCT are not immuned to COVID-19 pandemic. The supply of PPE is very key in the fight against this pandemic. The FCT has been fortunate as we continue to receive supplies from well spirited Nigerians and corporate organisations to support us.
“And we at the Health Secretariat have decided to cascade this support to the area councils as our immense contributions in the fight against COVID-19. As you all know, the area councils are battle ground, where the fight is taking place because it is the area council that house the communities and the people.
“This handing over is symbolic, the remaining items are in the store. We will continue to send as much as we have, as we plead with area council chairmen to support us as well,” he stressed.
Receiving the items on behalf of FCT Primary Healthcare Centres, the Ag. Executive Secretary, Dr. Iwot Edaeyo, commended the Health Secretariat for coming to the aid of the primary healthcare centres, just as he tasked primary healthcare workers to rise to the challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ndaeyo noted that the symptoms of COVID-19, are targeted at the PHC, stressing that all primary healthcare centres should be opened for services especially now that community transmission has been confirmed.
He said: “What is happening today is very significant because the primary healthcare sector is linked to community and therefore there is need for all the PHC to be opened for service so that people will come there for medical attention.
“It is our primary responsibility to protect the health personnel with hand gloves, face masks, alcohol based hand sanitizer among others. We urge all our primary healthcare centres to be opened to residents for medical attention especially now that community transmission has been confirmed”.
On her part, the representative of Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Helen Zamani, who spoke on behalf of the council thanked the FCT Administration, while noting that since the shorting down of most hospitals in the territory, attention has been shifted to primary healthcare centres.
