The Federal Government has directed health facilities across the country to strengthen their isolation centres and ensure the availability of protective equipment and essential medical supplies as part of measures to prevent and manage any possible outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
The directive, issued through the Federal Ministry of Health, is aimed at strengthening the country’s preparedness for early detection, isolation and effective management of suspected Ebola cases.
The Deputy Head of Clinical Services at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Birnin Kudu, Jigawa State, Dr Yunus Mohammed Eze, disclosed this in an interview with journalists.
Eze said the directive required hospitals to put necessary emergency response measures in place, including strengthening isolation facilities and ensuring that healthcare workers had adequate protective equipment to prevent exposure to the virus.
According to him, FMC Birnin Kudu has already complied with the directive by strengthening its isolation unit and placing healthcare personnel on alert.
“The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Health, communicated with health facilities across the country and directed them to prepare their isolation units and ensure that everything required to protect healthcare workers and manage affected patients was available,” he said.
He added, “We received the directive, and the management immediately swung into action. Our isolation unit was strengthened, and we are prepared to isolate any suspected case and make referrals where necessary.”
The medical expert further explained that the hospital had made arrangements to refer suspected or confirmed Ebola cases to designated treatment centres whenever necessary to ensure appropriate medical attention.
On public awareness, Eze said the hospital had intensified health education activities through its Infectious Diseases Unit and Community Medicine Unit to sensitise residents on infectious diseases and preventive measures.
He disclosed that the hospital was also collaborating with the Jigawa State Media Corporation to educate members of the public on disease prevention and the importance of promptly reporting suspected cases.
Eze added that healthcare professionals regularly provide health education to patients and visitors at the hospital, encouraging them to share the information with their families and communities.
He stressed the importance of public awareness and early reporting in preventing the spread of infectious diseases, noting that community participation remained essential to effective disease surveillance and response.