Despite the alarming rate of deaths across the world from Coronavirus outbreak, some residents of Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, South-South Nigeria do little to protect themselves from it or do not even believe in the existence of the virus.
On the other hand, the government at all levels has done little or nothing with no functional isolation facility on ground in readiness for any possible outbreak of the disease in the State.
Coronavirus which has killed thousands of people across the world found its way into Nigeria through an Italian who came into the country on the 24th of February.
With the index case, there are concerns about government’s preparedness to tackle Coronavirus.
A visit by AIT to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital shows that Rivers State is not prepared should there be any Coronavirus emergency in the State.
The Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital,
Professor Stanley Princewill says though the space for an isolation facility is available, only few multinational companies are willing to assist with equipment and consumables
Meanwhile, all effort to reach the Rivers State Commissioner for Health to ascertain the state government’s preparedness in the event of an outbreak in the State proved abortive as he said he was attending to other more serious issues
It will be recalled that during the Ebola outbreak in 2014, Rivers State recorded 3 confirmed cases in Port Harcourt
