Since the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in West Africa and Nigeria, government at federal, state and local levels have embarked on various awareness campaigns.
Other organisations, including churches and others, have also joined in the campaigns aimed at educating Nigerians on how to prevent the deadly virus.
Some people, including medical professionals, who came in contact with the first index case, Patrick Sawyer and other victims have either died or isolated to prevent further spread of the virus.
Worried by this development and as part of its efforts to sensitise the public on how to stop the spread of the disease, the Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN) organised a sensitisation and awareness seminar for personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Aba Unit Command.
The event held at the premises of the FRSC in Osisioma on the outskirts of Aba, the commercial nerve city of Abia State.
Leader of the group and Chairman of AGPMPN, Dr. Kingsley Enweremadu, said the group decided to take the campaign to the agency because of the sensitive and strategic role corps personnel play in saving human lives, especially accident victims. This, he said, could expose them to the disease.
Enweremadu said: “The duty of members of staff of the FRSC is similar to that of doctors, though with a little difference. We are life savers. By the nature of our job, we come in contact with human beings on a daily basis. They stand on the road while we sit under a roof to do our own job.
“The FRSC assist accident victims and sometimes administer first aid treatment where necessary, hence, the need for this seminar.”
On ways to avoid contracting the virus while assisting accident victims or in the line of duty, he called for caution. He advise those on duty to “wear hand gloves and nose masks, washing of hands with detergents always, especially after attending to any accident victims with blood stain, imbibe personal hygiene habits, avoid eating roasted bush meats that were not well prepared could help a great deal in preventing one from contracting the virus.”
He further solicited synergy between FRSC and the group to make their work effective and productive.
Aba Unit Commander of the FRSC, Mr. Akachukwu Chika-ero thanked members of the group for their visit and the seminar, adding that the seminar couldn’t have come at a better time than now when the spread of the Ebola virus is causing panic among Nigerians.
On synergy between the group and the agency, Chika-ero pleaded that accident victims brought to private or government hospitals should be admitted and treated without necessarily demanding initial deposit which the officers that brought the victim (s) might not afford immediately.
He pledged that they were willing to partner with the group to ensure that lives were saved, adding that the agency was going to take lessons of the lecture seriously.