The University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) has initiated plans to establish an Infection Outbreak Situation Room to strengthen its preparedness and emergency response following the Federal Government’s confirmation of an imported Ebola disease case in Abuja.
Head, Media and Publicity of UPTH, Kem Eleigba said the Chief Medical Director, Chituru Godwil Orluwene, disclosed this during a strategic meeting with the hospital’s Infection Prevention and Control and Antimicrobial Stewardship (IPC/AMS) Committee.
Orluwene charged members of the committee to deploy their professional expertise and technical knowledge towards strengthening the hospital’s capacity for early detection, risk assessment, infection prevention and coordinated emergency response.
He described the assignment as a matter of national public health importance, stressing the need for professionalism, patriotism, sacrifice and collective responsibility.
The CMD urged members of the public to remain calm, practise regular hand hygiene, avoid contact with the blood and other body fluids of suspected or confirmed cases, and rely on verified information from authorised health agencies.
He assured that UPTH would collaborate with the Federal Government, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Rivers State health authorities and other relevant stakeholders to support surveillance, preparedness and response activities.
Orluwene also urged healthcare workers to maintain a high index of suspicion, promptly report suspected cases, adhere to approved infection prevention and control protocols, and ensure appropriate isolation and referral arrangements in line with national guidelines.
Earlier, the Chairman of the IPC/AMS Committee, Prof. Kennedy Nkporbu, and the committee’s Technical Operations Head, Dr. Mary Alex-Wele, briefed the hospital management on its preparedness level, ongoing public sensitisation activities and areas requiring urgent intervention.
Their presentation highlighted the need for continuous staff training, adequate protective equipment, effective triage, environmental hygiene, clear escalation procedures and coordinated communication to strengthen the hospital’s readiness for infectious disease emergencies.
The proposed Situation Room is part of ongoing efforts by Orluwene to strengthen infection prevention and control at the hospital.
Shortly after assuming office, he inaugurated the IPC/AMS Committee and led a delegation to the Port Harcourt International Airport Zonal Office of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to explore areas of collaboration on preparedness for potential public health emergencies.
