The Federal Government has commissioned and handed over the first ever Infectious Disease Centre to the management of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital.
Minister for Health, Osagie Ehanire, while unveiling the 40-bed capacity facility in Gwagwalada on Friday, also laid the foundation stone for a 76-bed block Psychiatric centre.
The Minister noted that the infectious disease treatment centre would improve Nigeria’s capacity to respond to all infectious diseases in the country.
He said; “The IDH model would be replicated in the 36 states of the federation to boost the country’s preparedness at handling infectious disease outbreaks.
“With laboratory testing and case management in one location, there is a much shorter time between sample collection and infection confirmation, which ensures early initiation of treatment and thus mitigate mortality during infectious disease outbreaks’,
“I am very proud that today, we now have an international standard centre where we can manage highly pathogenic infectious disease cases, including critical medical and laboratory equipment”, he said.
