The Director General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, on Thursday inaugurated a Lassa Fever treatment centre at Bingham University Teaching Hospital (BHUTH) Jos.
Speaking at the event, Ihekweazu said the centre, an Institute of Evangelical Church of Christ Winning All (ECWA) University, was established through the basic health care provision fund, conceived in 2019 to respond to public health emergencies .
He said the funding was aimed at addressing human and infrastructure development, saying the establishment of the centre was to give service to humanity and strengthen the control and treatment of infectious diseases.
“We were here 18 months ago and promised to make the establishment of this centre a reality.
We are also making efforts not to loss sight of other diseaeses because of the pandemic.
“This centre should be a recognition of the role of health personnel in identifying and treating Lassa fever,”he said.
He added that the NCDC would continue to intervene in improving health services in Plateau and urged health workers not to be weary of serving humanity especially in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier, the Chief Medical Officer of BHUTH, Prof. Edwin Eseigbe said the hospital had been globally acknowledged for its services in the management of Lassa fever and Vesico Vaginal Fistula among others.
He said that the NCDC DG in 2019, appraised BHUTH in its effective management of Lassa fever and promised to strengthen its capacity by supporting the establishment of its Lassa centre.
Eseigbe said private hospitals were critical in achieving universal health coverage especially in developing countries, adding that the handing over of the centre by NCDC to BHUTH would help them achieve the feat.
“I want to use this opportunity to call on the federal government through the ministry of health to come to the aid of private teaching hospitals in Nigeria.
“Supportive grants for human capacity and infrastructure development should be extended to the private teaching hospitals.
“Also, special allowances such as the recently approved payment of the special COVID-19 inducement and hazard allowances should be extended to private hospitals,”he said.
In his remarks, Rev. Stephen Baba, ECWA President, said that the missionaries passed down legacies of wholistic ministry involving the wellbeing of people which was still being practiced through its health outreaches in rural areas.
He said that the establishment of the centre was a celebration of Public Private Partnership and a landmark in concerted efforts to strengthen the capacity of Nigeria in the care of Lassa fever.
Also, Dr Nimkong Lar, the state Commissioner for Health, lauded NCDC for building the capacity of health workers in Plateau in the case management of COVID-19 patients.
He thanked NCDC for providing commodities and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the state as well as the approval of the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) as a testing centre for COVID-19.
Lar, however, appealed to NCDC for the approval of Plateau Specialist Hospital as a testing centre.
He said that the gesture would help to facilitate community testing with a view to control community transmission of COVID-19 in the state.
