As part of efforts to help stem the tides of the Coronavirus, President Muhammadu Buhari has asked all Nigerian governors to nominate doctors and nurses in their states who will join in the Federal Government’s drive to combat the deadly COVID-19.
President Buhari who disclosed this in a live broadcast on Sunday, March 29, 2020, also said that his government has created a Presidential Task Force (PTF) to develop a workable National Response Strategy that is being reviewed on a daily basis as the requirements change.
“So far, in Lagos and Abuja, we have recruited hundreds of adhoc staff to man our call centers and support our tracing and testing efforts.
“I also requested, through the Nigeria Governors Forum, for all State Governments to nominate Doctors and Nurses who will be trained by the NCDC and Lagos State Government on tactical and operational response to the virus in case it spreads to other states,” President Buhari disclosed.
He noted that this strategy takes international best practices but adopts them to suit the nation’s unique local circumstances.
The President further stated that the goal is to ensure all States have the right support and manpower to respond immediately there is an emergency.
According to President Buhari, this training will also include medical representatives from the armed forces, paramilitary and security and intelligence agencies.
The President stressed that the nation’s response to the virus must be guided, systematic and professional, adding that there is a need for consistency across the nation.
He assured Nigerians that all inconsistencies in policy guidelines between Federal and State agencies will be eliminated.