Some members of the Lagos State House of Assembly yesterday commended 591 Nigerian professional health workers who volunteered to help in the containment of Ebola in affected countries.
They gave the commendation in an interview in Lagos.
A seller of bananas walks past a slogan painted on a wall reading “Ebola” in Monrovia on August 31, 2014. Liberia on August 30, 2014 said it would deny permission for any crew to disembark from ships at the country’s four seaports until the Ebola epidemic ravaging west Africa was under control. AFP PHOTO
Mr Taiwo Kolawole, the Deputy Speaker, said that there was nothing wrong in assisting the affected countries in such a pathetic situation.
He said: “The health workers must be very careful and take safety measures, and must also be properly screened before returning to the country.
“There is nothing wrong in going out to assist your neighbouring countries, but it must not be done in such a way that will put the country into trouble.”
The lawmaker said that many countries in the world had volunteered to assist in containment of Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, in some West African countries.
He also advised the Federal Government to give adequate training to the volunteers and caution them on the terrain to avoid recording unnecessary casualty.
“They should be well trained because we will not want our borders exposed to such virus as a result of their voluntary service,” Kolawole said.
Also, Mr Suuru Avoseh, Chairman, House Committee on Health Services, urged the Federal Government to provide necessary preventive kits for the volunteers.
Avoseh (APC-Badagry I) said that the volunteers should be insured in case of any casualty to cater for the family they would leave behind.
The lawmaker said that such assistance would portray Nigeria as a responsible country in Africa.
On his part, Mr Segun Olulade, Chairman, House Committee on Information and Publicity, also advised the federal government to take proper record of the volunteers.
“I commend those who come out for assistance in saving lives of people, because a life saved is like saving the entire generation.
“We have people who are God fearing, and who love their neighbours in this country.
“I appeal to the government to engage best practice in the sector and administer a safety measure on the volunteers.
“No matter what, we are doing it for our own benefit, because if we refuse to assist those countries, another Patrick Sawyer may come to Nigeria unexpectedly.
“So, we must always provide opportunity for people to assist,” he said.
NAN reports that no fewer than 591 Nigerians had registered to join the Ebola volunteers group for deployment to assist in hard-hit countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, the Minister of Health, on Oct. 8, said that President Goodluck Jonathan had approved the release of the volunteers to assist the Ebola ravaging countries.
He said that they had been given proper training on how they would avoid contracting the disease.
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