ANAMBRA State Government has urged traditional rulers to assist in aggressive spreading of COVID-19 preventive protocols in their domains.
Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr. Vincent Okpala made the appeal while briefing the State Council of Traditional Rulers at their Government House Chamber in Awka.
Newsden reports that Dr. Okpala while thanking the royal fathers for their indispensable roles in the fight against coronavirus, maintained that a lot more was expected from them in the areas of aggressive sensitization of their subjects to ensure that they do observe all COVID-19 protocols.
Dr Okplala revealed that Anambra State has a COVID-19 testing centre that has the capacity to test 4, 500 persons a week at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Amaku Awka.
He urged people to feel free and get tested each time they develop COVID-19 related symptoms, as according to him, testing positive of the disease is not a death sentence.
The Special Adviser to the governor on Indigenous Medicine and Herbal Practice, Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim said that his office has sent six indigenous herbal medicines to the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for examination and urged residents of the State to start eating natural foods which he said boost immune system as an antidote to fighting the virus.
Responding, the Chairman, South East Council of Traditional Rulers and traditional ruler of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, who said that he has done COVID-19 test that came out negative, urged his counterparts to help government to eradicate the spread of the disease in their various communities by ensuring that all COVID-19 protocols are steadily observed.
Questions and suggestions on how best to tackle the prevalence of the disease were equally made during the meeting.
Some of the traditional rulers present during the meeting were Igwe Kenneth Orizu of Nnewi; Igwe Rowland Odegbo of Nteje; Peter Uyanwa of Ukwulu; George Ekwealor of Umuoba Anam; Ben Emeka of Umueri among others.
BY SUNNY A. DAVID
