FG bans inter-state movement of COVID-19 patients

The federal government has banned inter-state movement of COVID-19 patients in the country.

Osagie Ehanire, minister of health, said this on Wednesday in Abuja, at the presidential task force (PTF) briefing on COVID-19.

Ehanire said each person diagnosed with the virus would henceforth be treated in the state where the diagnosis was made to avoid further spread of the virus.

According to him, this was one of the resolutions reached at the end of the ministry of health’s emergency national council on health meeting, which held on Tuesday via teleconference and was attended by state commissioners for health and the acting federal capital territory secretary for health.

“Some of the resolutions unanimously adopted are that all persons diagnosed with COVID-19 will be, henceforth, preferably, treated in the state where the diagnosis was made, rather than to be referred to another state or to their states of origin, except there is a medical indication for it,” he said.

“This is to avoid the high risk of exposure of other persons in the course of transfer. ”

He warned patent and proprietary medicine vendors (PPMVs) and pharmacists against attempting to treat COVID-19 patients, otherwise their operating licences would be revoked.

He noted that the ministry of health had deployed the chief consultant epidemiologist, public health department of Kano state, and 16 staff of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to Kano to investigate reports on the recent increase in the number of deaths in the state, as well identify the peculiarities.

The minister stated that private hospitals interested in the management of COVID-19 patients should apply to their state ministries of health for permit, meet the infection prevention and control standards, and get accredited by the state in line with guidelines.