The Federal Government has released N386million to two health agencies to strengthen Coronavirus (COVID19) preparedness in Nigeria.
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr Abdulaziz Mashi Abdulaziz, disclosed this to newsmen while providing updates on the preparedness for Coronavirus and Lassa Fever in the country, on Friday, in Abuja.
Abdullaziz noted that the amount was released by the government in two batches, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
He said, “While the first batch of N71 million was released at the end of January to facilitate activities of the Port Health Services department of the ministry, the second was released after the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said the government had budgeted N620 million to curtail the virus from entering Nigeria when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Health.
“It is true that intervention was sought from the presidency and the Ministry of Finance and Budget Planning. This is because of the level of the emergency. I can confirm to you that N71million was released to the Port Health Services division of the (health) ministry.
“The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control was also given N315m directly. Other requests are in the pipeline and yet to be released.”
Earlier, in his address, the Minister of State for Health, Sen. Olorunnimbe Mamora, said information available to the Nigerian government was that the first case of coronavirus had been reported from Egypt and that the affected person was a foreigner.
Mamora added that the Ministry had inaugurated an inter-ministerial committee to provide oversight leadership.
He said the committee was being coordinated by the NCDC and that it meets twice in a week.
-NAN
