First set of Nigerian volunteers set to leave for #Ebola hit countries
The Supervising Minister of Health, Dr Khaliru Alhassan, has announced that the first set of 250 volunteers will soon leave Nigeria to other parts of West Africa hit by the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
Alhassan said the volunteers were drawn from the group already registered by the federal government to join the international team that would be deployed to help countries fighting the scourge.
He said the volunteers had undergone intensive training on how to handle serious cases among other skills needed to contain the spread of the virus in the region.
“It is pertinent to note that having conquered the Ebola virus within its shores, Nigeria had offered to take the fight to countries still struggling with the deadly disease while it tightens its mechanisms for treatment and surveillance.
“It is in this light that I announce that the first set of 250 volunteers have been prepared and would soon be
deployed to affected countries to help fight the Ebola virus.
“They are among those over 500 registered volunteers and are ready to move, they have been fully trained and briefed and we are just waiting for the final approval for them to be deployed.”
Dr. Alhassan doused fears that the lives of the volunteers were at risk given the situations in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, assuring that they were adequately trained and mobilised, and that they would be further guided in the mission areas by other experts from international partners.
Nigeria will still retain another set of over 250 volunteers that could be called upon in the event of an emergency here.
