The Senate on Thursday urged the Federal Government to appropriate additional funds to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to sterm the outbreak of coronavirus.
The funds, the Senate said would be used to purchase latest equipment for research and diagnosis of not just coronavirsa but other tropical diseases that threaten human existence.
Also, the Senate has urged the Nigerian public desirous of travelling to Asia especially China to heed the Federal Government travel advisory on China and put their travel arrangements on hold till further notice, and until the outbreak of the virus was vanquished from the face of the earth.
The Senate’s requests followed a motion during plenary, sponsored by Chairman Senate Committee on Primary Health Care and Communicable Diseases, Senator Chukwuka Utazi (Enugu North).
Titled “Coronavirus Outbreak and Preventive Response Toward Stopping the Scourge in Nigeria” Utazi said the disease is not carefully handled, it will cause a lot of death.
“Senate also urges the Federal Ministry of Aviation to ensure that all persons arriving from China especially the Chinese citizens of Nigeria that traveled home for the Chinese Lunar new year festivities or from any country that has the major disease outbreak to self isolate.
“This is by staying indoors in their homes for at least two weeks before mixing with the Nigerian public.”
Leading the debate, Utazi said that according to medical definition, coronavirus was a type of common virus that infested humans typically leading to upper respiratory infection.
“China had put millions of people in three of its cities on lock down in an effort to contain the outbreak that has killed over 170 and infected more than 630.
“Health officials fear the number of infected people will rise rapidly as hundreds of millions of Chinese people travel within China and abroad during the week long lunar new year holidays,” he stated.
Utazi further noted that the ministry of health through NCDC, a product of the 8th National Assembly legislation had risen to the occasion and was closely monitoring the outbreak of the respiratory illness caused by the virus.
While supporting the motion, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC-Kano North) described the motion as people-oriented.
He said that the motion was a wakeup call to employ preventive measures so that the disease did not get into the country.
“We need to take steps so as to safeguard our citizens,” he said.
Senator James Manager (PDP-Delta South) said that the virus was a terrible disease”I am surprised that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has not qualified it as an International Health Emergency.”
“I am happy that here in Nigeria, we are rising up to the occasion. That means we are learning from history; this is another Ebola.”
Senate President, Ahmad Lawan who put the motion to vote described it as very apt and said it will sterm the epidemic.
Solomon Ayado, Abuja
