By Sam Otuonye
The Federal Government has appointed the Enugu State Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu, as a member of the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Prevention.
This was contained in an official communication issued by the office of the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.
Gbajabiamila, who is also the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness, noted that Ugwu’s clinical and first hand experience in battling the 2014 Ebola outbreak would be highly needed by the nation.
”Prof Ugwu, you will be part of the national task force comprising committees on border management, immigration control and disease surveillance, with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) providing overall technical leadership and coordination,” he stated.
Responding to the appointment, Ugwu accepted to serve in the task force which had already been inaugurated at Presidential Villa by the Chief of Staff to the President.
Ugwu’s appointment is in line with the priority the administration of Gov Peter Mbah places on healthcare with emphasis in excellence.
The appointment highlights Enugu’s status as high risk of possible importation of the disease in view of her international airport especially as travellers from neighboring African countries and beyond come to Enugu directly through the airport.