COVID-19 no longer a disease for the rich, says Ehanire

Osagie Ehanire, minister of health, says COVID-19 can no longer be described as a disease of the rich.

Speaking at the presidential task force briefing on Wednesday, Ehanire said the disease has spread to local communities at the grassroots.

As of Tuesday, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said the disease had spread to 24 states and the federal capital territory (FCT).

Nigeria has 782 COVID-19 cases, out of which 197 patients have been discharged while 25 people have died.

Ehanire said the primary healthcare (PHC) system is very important in containing the infection at the grassroots.

“The role of primary healthcare is very important in this exercise in the sense that now we are in the community transmission phase,” he said.

“We have passed that era when people used to think that the coronavirus infection was something for big men and women who came from abroad. And because it came from abroad, they are the ones who would suffer for it. Now that it has gone to community level, it is really down at the grassroots and the role of the primary healthcare comes into play.

“It is very important for them to be able to do the surveillance, to raise the index of suspicion, to find persons who should go for treatment and sometimes to move around the community and be able to identify people who might have symptoms but have not gone to facility.”