Commotion As Coronavirus Patients Dare Government, Reject Treatment In Abuja

The Minister of FCT has said he may be forced to invoke the relevant sections of the law to evacuate the recalcitrant patients to isolation centres.

According to reports, some unnamed residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, who have tested positive, have refused to relocate to treatment centres established by the Government.

Minister of FCT, Muhammad Bello, while briefing stakeholders in Abuja, said he may be forced to invoke the relevant sections of the law to vacate the stubborn patients to isolation centres.

“Following the submission by the Response Team that some COVID-19 positive individuals were refusing to go to treatment centres and instead preferred to treat themselves in their homes.

The FCT Minister expressed dissatisfaction with this development and said existing laws will be used to force such persons to go to treatment centres explaining that their staying at home posed great risks not just to their families but also immediate communities,” a statement made available to newsmen read.

The statement further read: “Since we have begun to witness community transmission of the virus, it is imperative that we must do everything within our power to stop the spread even if we have to compel such persons to go to treatment centres.

In order to prevent further spread of the virus within the communities, it was resolved that massive testing will be carried out in areas where community transmission has been organized, including Mabushi, Gishiri and Utako.
“The Response Team also encouraged all residents to wear face masks when outside in the public and also encouraged them to make their own face masks from cloth and wear them always.”

The meeting also examined the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic in the FCT and the measures taken to prevent it.

So far, a total of 263 staff, made up of 66 doctors, 103 nurses, 9 pharmacists, 15 laboratory scientists and 70 other staff, have been trained, while 337 others are slated for training which is on-going in batches.