The Nigerian Medical Association has expressed fears over poor preparedness of some states in the fight to check the Ebola Virus Disease in the country.

The association has therefore inaugurated a National Response Committee to help in the containment of the disease.

These positions were contained in a communiqué signed by the NMA President, Dr. Kayode Obembe, at the end of its National Executive Council meeting in Awka, Anambra State. The leadership of the association met to deliberate on the EVD and other issues affecting the health sector.

The association also pledged that its members remained committed to providing adequate health services to the citizenry, especially in the attempt to check the spread of EVD in the country.

The said, “The importation of EVD to Nigeria clearly demonstrated that we are very prone and more at risk in this Ebola virus as a nation that is opened to several diplomatic and international travels. Consequently, concerted efforts are required from all to possibly contain this epidemic and save the over 170 million Nigerians from the risk of being exposed to this deadly disease.

“The NEC stressed the need for all to be on the alert as a result of the danger posed by Ebola and called on the Federal Government to police the nation’s borders and ports to avert further spread of the disease. The NEC commended the efforts of the Federal Government and the Lagos State Government so far in containing the spread of EVD outbreak and attempts at establishing isolation centers in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

“However, it was observed that the essential structures and framework for containing the outbreak on a national scale have yet to be in place, particularly at the state and local government levels. NEC therefore calls on the Federal Government to take a step further in ensuring the creation of functional EVD control committees at all levels of government.

“In response to the current outbreak, the NMA has put in place the National EVD Response Committee headed by a renowned Public Health Physician, Prof. Michael Asuzu, and similar committees at the state level. The NMA has mandated these committees to continue to liaise with their government counterparts to synergise their responses for the containment and treatment of any outbreak of the Ebola virus in various parts of the country.”