by By Moses Emorinken, Nation Newspaper
The Federal Government on Monday sent a 17-man delegation to Cross River State to beef up its COVID-19 response strategy and ensure that the disruption of routine medical services is eliminated.
The delegation will also be meeting with the State’s branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to help resolve their grievances and restore calm.
It, therefore, urged doctors in the State not to down their tools and suspend their strike action.
Minister of Health Dr. Osagie Ehanire stated this during the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing in Abuja.
According to him, “A strong 17-man team of the Federal Ministry of Health led by the Executive Director of the NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, left Abuja today for Calabar to engage with Cross River State Government in setting up their COVID-19 response strategy and aligning it with the national response.
“Agencies and many Departments of the Ministry such as Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), hospital services and Family Health, are represented in the delegation to ensure the appropriate technical handshake between Federal and Cross River State service delivery pillars, and also to ensure that the disruption of routine medical services, which has been observed in many states, is minimised or eliminated in Cross River State…
“We have also called on the Cross River State Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) branch to suspend their strike action and receive the Ministry’s delegation arriving there today (Monday)”.
