NHC approves COVID-19 Response Action Plan

The National Council on Health (NCH) has approved the Health Sector Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Response Action Plan.

The council approved the plan at the Emergency NCH Meeting held as virtual meeting and chaired by the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire.

The approval by the council was based on States updates and deliberations at the meeting.

The council also stepped down the presentation of the Draft Guideline on Basic Health Care Provision Fund, scheduled earlier for presentation to the council, for a later time after further necessary consultations.

It also agreed not to establish the COVID-19 Community Support Centres (CSCs) as parallel centres but as additional options to relieve the burden of service delivery on existing facilities.

The council also decided that States were to own and lead the implementation of the COVID-19 Community Support Centres (CSCs) where desirable.

It also resolved that the Federal Ministry of Health would share a Template on Needs Assessment and Daily Reporting Format on Case Management to facilitate decision making for federal governmnet support to states.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the council agreed on the above after it considered the development of the Health Sector Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Response Action Plan and the proposed establishment of Community Support Centres (CSCs) in high burden states of Lagos and Kano as well as the FCT, towards reducing community transmission of COVID-19.

NAN further reports that the council also deliberated on the progress of work/support by all stakeholders and challenges encountered in the containment of the COVID-19 pandemic across the states of the federation.

It reports that the membership of the Health Council comprised the Minister of Health as Chairman, Minister of State for Health, 36 State Commissioners for Health and the Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory.

The Secretary of the Council is the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr Abdulaziz Abdullahi.

Some of those that attended the meeting were Minister of State for Health, Sen. Olorunnimbe Mamora, 25 State Commissioners for Health from Jigawa, Bauchi, Kebbi, Lagos, Edo and Kaduna.

Others were Sokoto, Kano, Kogi, Yobe, Niger, Imo, Rivers, Cross Rivers, Enugu, Anambra, Katsina, Ekiti, Kwara, Plateau, Osun, Ogun, Nasarawa, Gombe; the Acting Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretariat of the FCT and Representative of Akwa Ibom Commissioner for Health.

Also at the meeting were Heads, Chief Excutive Officers and representatives of Departments, Agencies and Parastatals of the Federal and State Ministries of Health, FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat, representatives of development partners, civil society organisations, and health professional associations on COVID-19.

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