The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, has rejected rumors suggesting a resurgence of COVID-19 in the country, emphasizing the absence of scientific evidence supporting such claims.
Professor Pate conveyed this message during the inaugural public lecture series at the Federal University of Health Sciences in Otukpo, Benue State, where he was represented by his Senior Special Adviser, Emmanuel Oduh.
“The diagnosis of COVID is a scientific process. It is not something that is subjective or speculative. While there may be speculations, once investigations confirm it is not a case of COVID, it is not COVID,” he stated on Friday.
Highlighting Nigeria’s past success in handling pandemics, he pointed out the nation’s effective response to challenges like the Ebola virus and COVID-19, emphasizing the country’s commendable performance on a global scale.
“First, there came the Ebola virus. Nigeria was number one or thereabouts in its control. And then in COVID-19, we did not fare badly at all. As a matter of fact, our performance in spite of the status of our health sector, is among the best in the world,” he added.
Addressing the role of the newly established medical university, the minister emphasized the expectations from its mandate, particularly in training a skilled medical workforce amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Professor Innocent Ujah, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, added that thirty consultants have been engaged to train over three hundred skilled health workers.
Ada Peter
