Imo Govt Task Journalists On Improved Collaboration  To Fight Against Coronavirus, Other Epidemics

Dan Opara

The Imo State Governor, Sen. Hope Uzodinma, has harped on the need for improved collaboration with media actors as the world battles the corona virus epidemic.

 

Gov.Hope,  said this at the state secretariat in Owerri on Wednesday while briefing journalists on the level of preparedness of the Imo ministry of health to combat the deadly corona virus.

 

The governor who was represented by the  permanent secretary , Imo Ministry of Health, Dr. Anthony Igwe,  said that the role of the media in effective information dissemination cannot be overemphasized.

 

He added that the state had already devised measures to combat the virus although it was yet to record a case.

 

He further said that the masses could only know how much effort was being put by government and have their fears allayed  if there was a robust information network.

 

He listed the proactive  measures taken by the state government to include the use of infrared thermometers at the Sam Mbakwe airport, motor parks and the six major entry points into the state for screening of passengers.

 

He however said that the state was faced with challenges such as ignorance on the part of the populace and limited resources.

 

The governor commended  journalists for their role so far while advising Imo residents to temporarily avoid large gatherings such as burial ceremonies and crusades.

 

“As the world battles the corona virus epidemic,  the role of the media in social mobilisation through adequate information dissemination for public sensitisation and information gathering cannot be overemphasized.

 

“We urge you to remain proactive and committed to this course for the good of our state,  country and humanity in general as our people can only know how much we are doing if they are well informed “, he said.

 

Also speaking,  the Ministry’s Director of Public Health,Dr.Austin Okeji, said that the ministry had activated isolation centres in the ten general hospitals in the state with two centres in each hospital, male and female respectively.

 

Okeji said that the centres which are expected to receive persons screened with symptoms and may need to be quarantined would work hands in glove with response centres at Primary Health Care centres .

 

He also said that the ministry had begun conducting sensitisation workshops for clinicians and health workers as well as distributed personal protective equipment to health workers.

 

He added that the ministry was collaborating with its education counterpart for compulsory hand washing in schools as according to him,  arrangements were also being made for the distribution of hand sanitisers to schools and health facilities.

 

He thanked the governor for the provision of quick response  ambulances for conveying suspected patients to isolation centres while assuring that the ministry was prepared to mitigate spread of the virus in the event of an outbreak.

 

” We have not been idle. Various cogent measures have been put in place to ensure one hundred per cent readiness in the event of an outbreak “, he said.