Ilorin
The Kwara State Commissioner for Health, Dr Raji Abdulrazaq, has stressed the need for a collective approach to curb coronavirus pandemic in the country.
AbdulRazaq stated this in Ilorin while giving opening remarks at a one-day training on epidemic reporting held for Kwara-based journalists at the Kwara Hotel, Ilorin on Saturday.
The commissioner noted that though the coronavirus pandemic, threw everybody off balance, leaders across the world would not watch helplessly and allow the disease to destroy humanity.
The theme of the seminar, organized by the Ministry of Health in partnership with the Kwara State Technical Committee on COVID-19 is‘Enriching The Journalists’ Arsenal On COVID-19′.
The Commissioner stressed that Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq was determined to do everything humanly possible to protect the lives and property of residents and citizens of the state.
He added that blood samples of 128 individuals had been submitted for coronavirus tests so far pointing out that test results of 53 people were pending.
He said that in the results so far, 66 people had tested negative, 9 confirmed positive, 2 patients recovered and allowed to leave the isolation centre.
While urging the media to report responsibly and accurately in order not to spread misinformation or stoke fears and undue panic, he also noted that medical personnel and journalists had important role to play in ending the coronavirus pandemic.
The state IPC Team Leader, Dr Ahmed Abu bakar, stressed the need to have a record of community spread of coronavirus pandemic in the country.
He also called on people to be more committed to observing infection prevention measures and how they conducted themselves at public places.
The team leader reminded the people that coronavirus was not an airborne disease,adding that it “respects no race, colour, social class or status.”
The leader, who noted that getting infected was not a death sentence, urged the people to refrain from promoting coronavirus stigma.
The NCDC team leader, Dr Shuaib Sholagberu, called on the people of the state to observe all prevention tips as part of their bid to check the spread of the pandemic disease.
“It started like this in Italy, China and other places, we must therefore take it seriously and tackle it at embryonic stage,” he said.
The state Nigerisn Medical Association (NMA) Chairman, Dr Kolade Sholagberu, urged media practitioners to underreport any act of civil disobedience against anti-coronavirus measures announced by the government.
This he said became necessary to serve as encouragement to those reading such stories to make them show interest to follow in their footsteps.
Dr Raji Abdulrazaq, Director of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Dr Oluwatosin Fakayode, the state IPC Team Leader, Dr Ahmed Abubakar , NCDC Team Leader, Dr Shuaib Belgore attended the event
Other participants were; the state Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association, Dr Kolade Sholagberu, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Rafiu Ajakaye and the governor’s Special Assistant on New Media, Mr. Olayinka Fafoluyi.
