The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Primary Healthcare Board has supported 17 chiefs with hand and respiratory hygiene materials and a non-contact digital infrared thermometer.

Mr. Austine Elemue, Special Assistant on Media to the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Aliyu, in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

The minister presented the medical items to the Agaba of Jiwa kingdom, Alhaji Idris Musa.

Aliyu said that the support was to guard against the spread of the coronavirus in view of the large number of people that visit the palaces of traditional rulers to seek counseling.

The minister noted that the role of traditional rulers in FCT could not be overemphasized, adding that COVID-19 response from the primary healthcare sector fits into the community response too.

Aliyu, who said that community spread of COVID-19 was no more in doubt, stressed the need for traditional institutions to continue sensitization of activities at the community level.

“The role of traditional rulers in FCT cannot be overemphasized. There are three approaches to COVID-19 response in FCT from the health sector itself.

“Primary health sector, the public health sector, and the secondary health sector which will also pass through the tertiary and specialist hospitals.

“The response from the primary healthcare sector fits into the community response too.

“They are all represented here. The response may appear belated but it has to take a lot of planning and focused strategic activities to ensure that we work together as a team and reactivate that partnership that can make things happen.

“Prevention and control are very critical particularly hands and respiratory hygiene and using a noncontact infra-red digital thermometer that could help us to detect some of the major symptoms of the disease known as COVID-19.

“The community spread of the virus is no more in doubt, it is very obvious that it’s ongoing. Traditional institutions are the custodian of sensitization and mobilization of activities at the community level.

“And without you being protected, going by the number of meetings you are going to hold, for advice and counseling, there is a need to protect yourselves as frontline workers.

“In response to this critical observation, the administration has approved PPE to the 17 graded chiefs that will protect and aid surveillance.

“We are here with an infra-red digital thermometer, hand sanitizers, face masks, and buckets. This will go a long way to strengthen our partnership.”

Receiving the items on behalf of the traditional rulers, Musa stressed that with the support, traditional rulers would have a sense of belonging.

The monarch urged the FCT Primary Health Care Board to work as a team, even as he tasked them to tap from the knowledge of the traditional rulers.

“This is what we have been seeing in other states. First, let me commend the FCT Minister of State for presenting these items so that it will go round to all the graded chiefs.

“I am happy as a representative of northern traditional rulers in the FCT. It is what we have been waiting for.