• 21 states have fewer than 100 beds each, says PTF

• Govt shortlists three Nigerian drugs for investigation

The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has said the Federal Ministry of Health has shortlisted for further investigations, three Nigerian drugs, which have the potential to cure COVID-19 or treat its symptoms.

The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, disclosed this on Wednesday at the PTF press conference in Abuja, where the ministry of health warned that Nigeria’s health system could not cope with increasing COVID-19 cases.

But Mustapha said three shortlisted drugs would be subjected to further investigations by relevant health agencies.

The PUNCH had on Tuesday exclusively reported that the Federal Ministry of Health was screening 19 local firms for production of herbal drugs that could possibly treat or cure COVID-19.

The Minister of State for Health, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, who confirmed the screening to The PUNCH, said the companies had been asked to submit samples of their drugs.

At the PTF press briefing on Wednesday, Mustapha disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Health had held a virtual meeting with some researchers and scientists who had made claims about COVID-19 cure and shortlisted three for further research.

He stated, “As a measure of the importance attached to research and development of local capacity for finding a cure to the COVID-19, the Federal Ministry of Health held a virtual meeting with a number of researchers and scientists with claims to cure for COVID 19 and out of the numerous claimants, three were found to deserve further investigation and have been forwarded to the relevant authorities for appropriate review.

“Similarly, efforts are being made by the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology to subject some locally manufactured COVID-19 equipment to verification and subsequent certification.”

The task force also backed the decision of the World Health Organisation to suspend clinical trials of hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of the novel coronavirus.

The PTF Chairman, Mustapha, therefore cautioned the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control and other relevant agencies to ensure that all claims to treatment by scientists and researchers were subjected to scientific certification protocols.

The WHO had on Monday suspended the hydroxychloroquine trials because of the high mortalities among patients the drug was administered on.

On Tuesday, NAFDAC Director General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, said the agency would go ahead with the trial on the grounds that it had been effective in the treatment of COVID- 19 patients, especially those at the mild stage of the virus.

The PTF also said a protocol had been developed to give community members greater involvement and ownership in identifying and supporting the case management process.

Mustapha said the details would be unfolded in the coming days.

The SGF said allowances of security agents and frontline medical workers would be paid as soon as the National Assembly approved the 2020 Budget Appropriation (Amendment) Bill.

He said, “You are aware that the National Assembly is cutting short its recess to reconvene tomorrow to consider the adjustment to the 2020 budget. You don’t begin to apply certain amount of money…you wait for approvals.

“I believe by the time the leadership of the National Assembly considers the adjustment which has become of necessity because of the economic impact of COVID-19, I can assure everybody will be paid the stipends they are entitled to.”


21 states have fewer than 100 beds each

At the press briefing, the minister of state for health said that 21 states had fewer than 100 bed spaces each for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

He added that only five states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, had at least the prescribed 300 beds.


Nigeria has 112 treatment, isolation centres

The minister also stated the country had 112 treatment and isolation centres in the 36 states and the FCT with a total of 5,324 beds.


Increasing cases could exceed govt’s capacity to cope – Health minister

The minister said, “Though not surprising, we are concerned about the increasing number of confirmed cases. This is because very high cases could seriously exceed the capacity of our health system to cope. Routine cases may also suffer as a result. Therefore, non-pharmaceutical preventive approach is still our best strategy.

“At present, we have a total of 112 treatment and isolation centres in all the 36 states and the FCT with 5,324 beds. While only five states including the FCT have at least 300 beds as prescribed for isolation and treatment, 21 states have less than 100 bed spaces.


Govt asks philanthropists to set up treatment centres

“As the number of confirmed cases increases, there is an urgent need to expand our treatment centres across the country. I therefore call on the state governors and philanthropists to take active and deliberate steps to scale up the number of beds for isolation and treatment of confirmed cases in their states.”

The health minister said the Nigerian medical researchers working with foreign partners had been able to ascertain that the strain of COVID-19 in Nigeria was the same in Wuhan, China, where the virus first broke out.

https://punchng.com/fg-cant-cope-with-increasing-coronavirus-cases-minister/

Ok

Abeg ma see road jareh...... I thought u pipu were boasting upandan wen corona neva even near awa side dat u are equal to to d task and can handle d corona virus??.......these assholeș dont even deserve to be local government chairmen talkless of leading a country........mtcheewww

What's all these nonsense?

I can't even read the whole trash to the end.
Instead of finding solutions to the problem we have they keep postponing it.

They should know that before COVID-19 came the zoo was already wreck and now it's sinking deep.

Meanwhile, the Minister of health was lying as usual in the beginning that "Nigeria is ready for Coronavirus" by only checking temperature in our airports. Forgetting that emergency preparedness goes beyond all these charade.

So what can you said about the US, Italy, Ecuador etc grappling with overwhelming burden of COVID19 but still forging on?

Stop scamming us with with all those outrageous numbers every day, we all know your tricks... My own is allow people to go out and work and stop all this Okomeou Labalaba talk

[s]"The health minister said the Nigerian medical researchers working with foreign partners had been able to ascertain that the strain of COVID-19 in Nigeria was the same in Wuhan, China, where the virus first broke out."[/s]


So now they want us to believe that the spate of the pandemic in Nigeria is the same as it was in Wuhan where the "thing" was manufactured/cultured. Una do well...

In a saner clime, this Ehinare would have resigned out of shame over that disgraceful issue of "Chinese doctors turn technicians." But no... Nigerians; we no get shame!!! I thought they even claimed it costs the country 14million Naira to bring those people into the country?

foolish idiot

SCAM VIRUS!!!

Na beg we dey beg God to eradicate this pandemic.

I weep for my country

Who curse black man? ?

Please u guys should not start again, all these audio cases here and there

You say what .. ti apa ijoba obati ka ki lowa ku .. Olorun Dakun Baba le CORONA lo o

Why won't it when there's no light and millions are spent on fuel for generator? Constant electricity would have saved the country some money but una brain network no reach there. What a country !



Reach thousands of social media users with your business. I'm your plug, see siggy..

okay.. I don join #nothinglikecorona crew... we all have moved on ... enough of this drama

You're not saying what we don't already know. What we want you to say is your plans to mitigate the issues. The virus count is bound to increase so increase your capacity to treat.


When we fully open the economy, that's when we can know the reality especially if we open the airports

When will corona end?

they should better be careful do they don't face what Brazil is currently facing

Are you asking for more money

Mtchew.. who get time for Corona again
.make una continue looting, we self go dey panel am below..make everything spoil, make we all die, make everything restart, make my mama born me for abroad..nonsense

Open the economy . COVID 19 is here to stay.

What they are saying is, we might soon run out of funds.

Nobody gives a fuçk anymore..

It's time to select private hospitals that can test/treat because monkey Don dey enter market ooo

Seen

Seriously, i know there's Covid 19 in naija but I really doubt if its this serious!! I don't even know what to believe anymore self

na wah ooo

That has always been the issue with covid-19. Overwhelming of medical resources

Lagos is the only state doing real testing and follow ups. My concern is with the North. Why is the numbers going down especially in Kano? Are the three testing centers really working or people no longer go for testing?