TOYIN ADEBAYO, ABUJA
An Emergency Meeting of the National Council on Health (NCH) held via Zoom on Tuesday resolved to develop Health Sector COVID-19 Pandemic Response Action Plan.
They also proposed to establish Community Support Centres (CSCs), should be in the first instance, in high burden states (Lagos, Kano, and FCT) towards reducing community transmission of COVID-19.
The meeting which was chaired by the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire also noted the progress of work/support by all stakeholders and challenges encountered in the containment of the COVID-19 pandemic across the states of the federation.
In a communique issued at the end of the meeting and a copy made available to newsmen in Abuja stated that, Based on the technical presentations, states’ updates, and deliberations at the meeting, the Council approved the Health Sector COVID-19 Pandemic Response Action Plan
Council also made the following resolutions: The Draft Guideline on Basic Health Care Provision Fund, which was earlier scheduled for presentation to Council, should be stepped down for presentation at a later time after further necessary consultations; COVID-19 Community Support Centres (CSCs) should not be established as parallel centres but as additional options to relieve the burden of service delivery on existing facilities; States are to own and lead the implementation of the COVID-19 Community Support Centres (CSCs) where desirable; and FMOH will share a Template on Needs Assessment and Daily Reporting Format on Case Management to facilitate decision making for federal government support to states
The Communique was adopted upon a motion by the Commissioner for Health (Osun State) seconded by the Commissioner for Health (Yobe State).
The meeting commenced at 10:20am. The National Council on Health, as provided for in the National Health Act (2014), is the highest policy making body on matters relating to health in Nigeria. Membership of the Council consists of the Honourable Minister of Health who is the Chairman of the Council, the Honourable Minister of State for Health, State Commissioners for Health of the 36 States, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory. The Secretary of the Council is the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health.
The Emergency NCH Meeting, which held as a virtual meeting, was chaired by the Honourable Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie E. Ehanire. The meeting was attended by the Hon. Minister of State for Health, Dr. (Senator) Olorunnimbe Adeleke Mamora; Permanent Secretary (Federal Ministry of Health), Mr. Abdulaziz Mashi Abdullahi; State Commissioners for Health from 25 States (Jigawa, Bauchi, Borno, Kebbi, Lagos, Edo, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kano, Kogi, Yobe, Niger, Imo, Rivers, Cross Rivers, Enugu, Anambra, Katsina, Ekiti, Kwara, Plateau, Osun, Ogun, Nasarawa, Gombe); the Ag. Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretariat of the FCT and Representative of Akwa Ibom (PSH) State Commissioner for Health.
