EBOLA: Health  Workers Decry Poor Services At Port,Says Only One Doctor ,Two Ambulances Available

The Director, Port Health Services, at  the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos  Dr. Morenike Alex-Okoh, has decried the poor service at the port saying they had only one medical doctor with two ambulances.

Alex-Okon disclosed this when officials  from the Ministry of Health inspected the facilities of Port Health Service (PHS) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos .

The Director who spoke  during the facility tour of health equipment also noted that PHS lacked drivers to drive the attached vehicles in case of emergencies.

She urged government to provide all the necessary working tools to in order to enable health workers function optimally.

The Director stressed that with this, more lives would be saved in emergency situations.

She added that nurses were retiring in droves without replacement.

While responding on inadequate personnel and the complaints of the service at the airport , Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health Mr. Abdulazeez Abdullahi who led the government team, assured  that more personnel would be deployed to airport.

He said: ” We have excess of staff (in the country) and this thing will be addressed. I can assure you that more personnel would be deployed to”

He also debunked rumours making the rounds that an Ebola infected passenger had entered the country through the Lagos international airport, assured that extra steps were taken in the screening of in-bound passengers to ensure that those infected by the virus don’t gain access to the country.

” On the issue of the Ebola virus scare,  there is no truth in the earlier rumour that a traveller with Ebola virus entered the country,” he said.

Speaking further, :“On inadequate personnel and the complaints of the service at the airport, we have noted all that.  this airport very soon,” added Abdullahi

In recent months, Uganda and Congo DRC have been severely hit by the virus with fears it could spread to Nigeria through travellers going to both countries.

Also speaking, the International Terminal Manager for the Lagos Airport, Mr. Olatayo Ogini, said FAAN was collaborating with Port Health Service to prevent Ebola-infected passengers from entering the country.