FCT news
COVID-19: FCTA, Health Ministry Join Forces To Check Inaccessibility To Health Care

…As NCDC establish 7 New Sample Collection sites
Joel Ajayi
The Federal Capital Territory Administration and the Federal Ministry of Health will partner to ensure that no patient is turned away from any public hospital in the FCT for fear of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This was revealed following a stakeholders’ meeting held at the instance of the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello and his Health Ministry counterpart, Dr Osagie Ehanire to address increasing cases of inaccessibility of routine healthcare services in healthcare facilities by members of the public due to uncertainties caused by the covid-19 pandemic,
The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, decried the trend saying, a situation whereby, the entire system is skewed and geared towards fighting only one, out of hundreds of ailments is a cause for great concern.
According to the FCT Minister, “sad stories of people being turned away from hospitals with non-COVID related ailments or even denied life-saving first aid treatments for fear of contraction of the virus have come to the fore”, adding that “The increasing number of cases due to community transmission has thrown up the necessity of all our hospitals to become directly involved in this fight, especially with the collection of samples…”
He assured of a continued partnership between the FCTA and the Federal Ministry of Health in the use of the facilities and expertise of both organizations for the improvement of health services in the FCT.
While commending health workers for their efforts in the fight against the pandemic, the Minister expressed the commitment of the FCT Administration towards sustained partnerships to step up public awareness, which, he said, was the key to putting a lid on its spread.
In his comments the Hon. Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, urged the management of public hospitals not to give room for other life-threatening illnesses to thrive and increase mortality. This, he said, would bring about a serious setback if medical services, including emergency services, begin to deteriorate in the wake of COVID 19. He stressed that neglect of any sick person was unethical and not acceptable while assuring that adequate steps were being taken to ensure that patients are not turned away from hospitals to die needlessly,
He further warned that Chief Medical Directors of hospitals would be held accountable personally for the outcome emanating from their hospital, stressing that, “No emergency should be denied attention, even if it means admitting someone on a stretcher or an examination couch, to give them life-saving oxygen, instead of rejecting them and saying you have no bed. You have to do something. The least is to give oxygen”.
The Health Minister also informed the gathering that the Nigerian Airforce has guaranteed the supply of oxygen when needed, urging hospital heads to ensure that patients are attended to with dignity and dispatch saying that in subsequent meetings, medical Directors of Private hospitals will also be briefed on this development.
Speaking on COVID-19, Dr. Ehanire said “The Hon. Minister of FCT and I have agreed on the protocol to link all major public hospitals in the FCT catchment area, whether they are managed by Federal or FCT Administration, to the COVID-19 sample collection site to facilitate fast sample collection, reduce turnaround time for test results and to bring more efficiency to the response strategy.
In his submission, the DG, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu commended the FCT Minister and his team for the long strides taken to curb the spread of the pandemic in the FCT.
According to the NCDC Boss, “The FCT has been an absolute leader in the work we have done. We have close to 20,000 tests in the FCT and about 2,000 positives. This is the highest number of tests per population in any state in Nigeria. This shows the excellent work that has happened in FCT.
He also disclosed that the NCDC will support the FCT team in operationalizing seven sample collection sites across the Territory. These are in the National Reference Laboratory in Gaduwa, the Federal Ministry of Health premises, Federal Medical Center Jabi, National Hospital, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital in Gwagwalada and the General Hospitals in Garki and Nyanya.”
“We will start with these seven, aiming that by the end of the week after, we will operationalize across all general hospitals in the FCT to be sample collection sites,” Dr. Ihekweazu said.
He further disclosed that the NCDC will provide training sample collection materials quality assurance and Infection Prevention and Control support in all the sites.
At the end of the meeting, the Medical Directors of public hospitals in the FCT pledged that no patient will be denied necessary health care at the hospitals and commended the FCT Administration for the provision of adequate Personal Protective Equipment, PPEs in all the hospitals.
Also in attendance at the meeting were, Minister of State for Health, Senator, Adeleke Mamora, Chief of Staff to the FCT Minister, Malam Bashir Mai Borno, the CMD of Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Prof. Sylvanus Okogbenin, CMD National Hospital Abuja, Dr. JAF Momoh, the CMD of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Prof. Bissalah Ekele, the GM of FCTA Hospital Management Board Dr. Francis Alu, Medical Directors of FCT public hospitals as well as officials of the Federal Ministry of health.
FCT news
Happy Birthday Our Worthy Boss, FCT’s Acting HOS Adayilo felicitates with Wike

On behalf of the Management and the entire Staff of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), I wish to heartily felicitate with our deserving Boss, the Honourable Minister of FCT, His Excellency, Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike (CON), on this special occasion of your 57th Birthday Anniversary celebration.
Your Excellency Sir, your unwavering commitment, unparalleled doggedness and resilience in the development and transformation of the infrastructural landscape of the nation’s capital city of Abuja is undoubtedly evident within the past one year that you have held sway as the Honourable Minister of FCT.
Sir, let me state unequivocally that the entire Staff of the FCT Administration are immensely grateful to you for prioritizing their welfare, particularly, the recent payment of their National Minimum Wage, with three months’ arrears.
Honourable Minister Sir, on this special day of your life, the entire of the Administration are indeed elated to say that they are pleased to have you as their Minister.
Once congratulations, Sir.
-
Featured6 years ago
Lampard Names New Chelsea Manager
-
Featured5 years ago
FG To Extends Lockdown In FCT, Lagos Ogun states For 7days
-
Featured6 years ago
NYSC Dismisses Report Of DG’s Plan To Islamize Benue Orientation Camp
-
Featured5 years ago
Children Custody: Court Adjourns Mike Ezuruonye, Wife’s Case To April 7
-
Featured3 years ago
Transfer Saga: How Mikel Obi Refused to compensate me After I Linked Him Worth $4m Deal In Kuwait SC – Okafor
-
Sports2 years ago
TINUBU LAMBAST DELE MOMODU
-
News3 months ago
Zulu to Super Eagles B team, President Tinubu is happy with you
-
Featured5 years ago
Board urges FG to establish one-stop rehabilitation centres in 6 geopolitical zones