Minister of State for Health, Dr. Khaliru Alhassan has assured Nigerians of the Federal Government’s commitment to containing the Ebola virus disease in the country.
Alhassan gave this assurance while speaking with newsmen in Sokoto. He stated that the scourge had already been contained in Lagos state while a special team had been mobilised to Rivers state to contain it.
“Presently, a specialised team comprising staff members of World Health Organisation, Centre for Disease Control, Atlanta United States and Geneva and Medecin Sans Frontiers are already in Port Harcourt to address the situation.
“We are confident we have won the war in Lagos, though we still have one patient receiving attention there but we are still not out of the woods yet. So, Nigerians should remain calm, as we are adequately prepared to contain the spread of the scourge,” he said.
According to him, over 400 people were currently under strict surveillance in the country.
The Minister stated that adequate preparations had been made in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior to ensure proper checks of travellers at the border posts in the country.
Alhassan pointed out that vehicles and motorcycles had been mobilised to the borders. He acknowledged that the greatest challenge was getting the understanding of the public, especially those under quarantine.
“As of now, we want those under quarantine that were asked to remain indoors to cooperate and should remain calm because we are determined to contain the disease,” he said.
