Also at the press briefing, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said the Federal Government had signed a deal approving hazard allowances for health workers involved in the COVID-19 containment.
He said the agreement had been forwarded to the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed.
Ehanire noted that the Nigerian Medical Association and other stakeholders were present at signing of the deal, which had also been forwarded to the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
PTF deploys pathologists to probe strange deaths Bauchi, Jigawa, others
He said the Federal Ministry of Health assembled and trained pathologists from Sokoto, Bauchi, Jigawa, Katsina and Kano states who were thereafter sent to probe the strange deaths in the states.
He said, “With regard to the investigation in Kano (deaths), it is going to be a very scientific investigation and they will sit down to collate a report. They are trying to ensure that there is no room for error. I have not seen it yet, but it is in the pipeline.
“I have told the teams to bring pathologists to these states which are reporting these deaths. We have brought pathologists from Sokoto, Bauchi, Jigawa, Kano and others to develop a protocol and training by which they can now carry out this investigation.”
He said the ministry had developed a protocol for accreditation of hospitals, adding the protocol had been given to many states.
He also said some hospitals, including private and public facilities, had been accredited treat the virus.
The minister stated, “The team that was sent to Kano has already been to four other states. The Federal Government and state hospitals; some private hospitals in Lagos, have been accredited by the accreditation team.”
He appealed to each state government to provide at least 300 bed spaces as isolation centres.
Ehanire also spoke about a COVID-19 patient at the National Hospital, Abuja, who allegedly insisted on her tests being conducted by the World Health Organisation officials.
The minister said, “On the lady at the National Hospital whom we have been engaging with. The history is already known that she came from the United Kingdom and has had three tests. She is due for another test, which she has refused to take. We strongly believe that she is by now negative but we have to be able to document it because we also work with guidelines released from the WHO.
“So, I called her on the phone and persuaded her to let them take the test. First, she gave me conditions that they (officials) must give her all her tests from the past. I gave an instruction and they took all her results, photocopies and gave them to her.”
