Edo inaugurates Rapid Response Committee on Ebola

The Edo State Government has on Monday inaugurated a Rapid Response Committee as part of efforts to prevent a spread of the deadly Ebola virus to the state.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Aihanuwa Eregie, who spoke during the inauguration of the committee in Benin, said that membership of the committee was chosen to reflect the diversity of the state to tackle the EVD.

According to her, the committee is charged will the responsibility of reviewing and approving the epidemic preparedness and response plan, mobilise resources for epidemic prevention and control.

The RRC would coordinate and monitor control activities during outbreaks including information dissemination to the public and media.

It would also monitor resource utilization, designate one or more centres for isolation and case management and coordinate post-epidemic evaluation, amongst other terms of reference.

Eregie, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Peter Ugbodaga, urged the members drawn from various federal, state and international institutions to apply their wealth of experience in the task of making the state free from “any emerging and re-emerging disease outbreaks.”

“You will agree with me that since the unfortunate importation of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease by the American-Liberian, Dr. Patrick Sawyer on 20th July 2014, the disease has been declared a serious national emergency requiring all hands to be on deck to prevent, control and isolate those our unfortunate brothers and sisters that come down with the illness.”

“This committee is a critical step in the prevention, control, isolation and treatment of cases of the disease,” Eregie said.

Earlier, the Edo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Louis Odion, while calling for collaboration from the media in the creation of awareness, stressed the need for proper clarification while suspected cases to avoid panic among the people.

Membership of the committee is drawn from the state ministries of health, information and orientation, local government and agriculture and education.

Others include the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Irrua Teaching Hospital, Nigerian Immigration Service, Nigerian Prisons Service, WHO, UNICEF and other relevant institutions in the state.

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Edo inaugurates Rapid Response Committee on Ebola