The world is witnessing unprecedented devastation being caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic to healthcare systems around the world, and as Nigerians we can only imagine the threat it poses to our fragile healthcare system if we do not collectively band together to mount a defence against its spread.  

While we applaud the efforts of the National Centre for Disease Control in its initial response to the outbreak of the Virus in Nigeria, the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria and its coalition of partners are poised to assist the various government agencies and public sector apparatus by providing a coordinated private sector response that works in concert to curtail, contain and terminate the effect of the Coronavirus in Nigeria.

Healthcare Federation of Nigeria as an umbrella body for private sector healthcare Business organizations in Nigeria, supported by the IFC- World Bank, PharmAccess and other multilateral organizations, has over 40,000 healthcare professionals in our network. Based on our robust composition, we have a wide reach in the healthcare industry. Our Federation has the enormous advantage of being able to mobilize and deploy human resources and critical equipment needed for early detection of symptoms and effective containment of infectious diseases to prevent further spread.

Members of the HFN EXCO have already sprang into action to determine how we can support both the federal and state government apparatus to fight against COVID-19.  The first step was an initial brainstorm session with the DG NCDC on Wednesday March 25th 2020.  He outlined the immediate needs of his agency:

1. Setting up more accredited test centres
2. Detection of infected and exposed persons, and proper isolation centres
3. Treatment with right medicines and equipment including use of existing ventilators with approved manpower
4. Simple communication tools to reach all citizens especially the grassroots

In order to support the government, HFN would like to solicit support from our members and identify those who have the capacity to support. Kindly indicate by contacting our Secretariat indicating the nature of support you are willing to provide:

1. Provision of World Class Laboratories as additional testing sites across the country.
2. Provision of healthcare Human Resources for treatment and testing centres.
3. Training of manpower including Respiratory Physicians, Nurses, Anaesthetics and ancillary staff to handle the disease.
4. Provision of Infrastructure, Medical Equipment and pharmaceutical products leveraging existing supply chains in the private sector space for rapid deployment. 
5. Grass root information dissemination in Behavioural Change through Social Media, Radio, Telecom platforms.
6. Provision of Remote Consulting leveraging the Telemedicine Platforms already in existence in the private sector
7. Provision and Coordination of Contact Call Centres leveraging the existing capacities in private sector organizations. This will lessen the burden of information dissemination presently on the NCDC

The HFN has collaborated with the Lagos state Government in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. They have supported the government to develop and launch several Isolation centres and Intensive Care Units.  Some of these coalitions include the recent YPO-Lagos– Covid 19 Response and the COCAVID coalition. 

We must also commend the efforts of CBN and all the federal agencies who have reacted swiftly to facilitate access to finance to healthcare providers and the pharmaceutical value chain and medical devices providers, import duty waivers for drugs and medical equipment and duty concessions,   to create an enabling environment for private sector to support this effort. We believe that a concerted and unified approach from the private sector during this period will not only provide the right support for the government’s initiatives, but also prepare the ground work for future collaboration between the public and private sectors for the rapid development of the health sector in Nigeria.

#Stay Safe