Why FG can’t cope with increasing COVID-19 cases – Health Minister

On Wednesday, chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, revealed that 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. 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.

The Minister of State for Health, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, who confirmed the screening, 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.

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. 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.

The health 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.

“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.