NCDC rates Akwa Ibom COVID-19 response highly

Chikwe Ihekweazu, director-general of the Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC), has adjudged the emergency operating center in Akwa Ibom as one of the best in the country.

Ihekweazu and officials of World Health Organisation (WHO), who were in the state on a working tour of health facilities over the weekend, commended the Akwa Ibom government for its investment in healthcare and building institutional capacity to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He expressed satisfaction over the “state-of-the art facilities” and quality of personnel available in the state, saying  the federal government and the presidential task force on COVID-19 will be pleased to deepen collaborations with the state.

The NCDC boss extended the gratitude of the federal government and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to people and government of Akwa Ibom state and thanked the health workers for their very hard work over the past few months of the outbreak.

Speaking after inspecting the Ibom Specialist Hospital and the emergency operations centre (EOC), Ihekweazu said “this is actually a joint mission with the WHO. …coming to Akwa Ibom today has really been such an eye opening experience, both at Ibom Specialist Hospital and this EOC that will be opened on the 23rd of June. I think we were jointly pleasantly surprised at the opportunity this presents to the country. This will probably be the best EOC in the whole country, by the time its fully operational.

“The say seeing is believing, so we have really gone round from Ibom Specialist Hospital to the EOC, which I think it’s been an incredible job in terms of response to COVID, but really those facilities represent the future of healthcare in the country.”

Also speaking at the Ituk Mbang Isolation Centre for Quarantine and Prevention of Infectious Disease, where the PCR Laboratory is situated, the NCDC director-general expressed great pleasure over the investment of the state government combating COVID-19 and taking responsibility for the health of the citizens of the state.

“The most exciting part for me is seeing this laboratory; seeing how it’s been well kitted, the expertise of the colleagues that are working here and their deep knowledge of the process,” he said.

“I’m really happy to bring Akwa Ibom into the national network of molecular laboratory capacity which is really what we are trying to build. We want to see every state have a molecular laboratory capacity and Akwa Ibom has really demonstrated what is possible, when there is a political will, investment in health and when the leadership of a state is taking the health of the citizens very seriously.”

Speaking on behalf of the state government, Emmanuel Ekuwem, secretary to the state government and chairman, Akwa Ibom state COVID-19 management committee, expressed gratitude of the government and people of Akwa Ibom to the NCDC and WHO teams for the visit to the state and for painstakingly going round to appreciate the vision of Udom Emmanuel, the governor.

Ekuwem said Emmanuel has always given priority attention to the health of the citizens and remains committed to ensuring a healthy state, hence the outbreak meeting the state as if she was prepared for it.

He assured the team that the momentum of response to the pandemic in the state will be sustained.