President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime says it has put in place mechanisms to monitor and curb the outbreak of monkeypox in Nigeria.

Health minister Osagie Ehanire said this at the inauguration of projects executed by Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto.

Mr Ehanire mentioned that the government was monitoring the monkeypox outbreak and making efforts to enlighten the public on the disease and how to prevent its spread.

According to him,Mr Buhari’s regime is committed to improving the quality of healthcare delivery in the country.

“This is a commitment to meet the highest standard found elsewhere in the world, as not everyone has the desire or means to travel abroad for treatment. As such, I call on doctors, nurses and care providers to bear this in mind and commit to the stated objective of excellence in service delivery to our people,” stated the health minister.

Mr Ehanire added that since 2015, the regime made a point of investing in the health sector through budgetary provision and special intervention projects.

“The Brachytherapy Centre constructed at this facility as an additional treatment centre for cancer, is one such project to be commissioned today. In 2021, the Federal Executive Council also granted approval for the construction, procurement and installation of a linear accelerator and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine for this hospital,” the minister explained. “These modern medical equipment will improve diagnostics and management of cancer, neurosurgery and orthopaedics cases.”

Mr Ehanire disclosed that the government was in the process of providing oxygen plants across the nation, to improve management of critically-ill patients requiring oxygen therapy.

He called on Nigerians yet to be vaccinated for COVID-19 to avail themselves of the vaccination to support the 70 per cent ratio needed for herd immunity and healthier society.

(NAN)