FCT HEALTH AUTHORITIES ASSURE ROBUST CONTAINMENT CAPACITY; URGE RESIDENTS TO MAINTAIN VIGILANCE, NOT PANIC
By Wisdom Acka and Jesulayomi Olukomogbon
The Health Services and Environment Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has reassured residents of the Territory of its full capacity, structural readiness, and high-level response mechanisms to handle any public health emergency.
Authorities have strongly advised members of the public against panic, emphasizing that comprehensive containment measures and surveillance systems are fully operational across all administrative districts.
Addressing journalists and healthcare stakeholders in Abuja on Friday, 23 October, 2026, Mandate Secretary of the Secretariat, Dr. Fasawe Adedolapo, stated that the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, has directed public and private health facilities across the Territory to maintain a heightened index of suspicion, enforce strict infection prevention protocols, and implement immediate screening and triage procedures at entry points.
The reassurance comes in the wake of the latest Ebola virus case confirmed in the FCT, marking an imported case from international travel.
According to her, the Secretariat further extended its safety guidelines to faith-based institutions, funeral service managers, and community leaders across Christian, Muslim, and traditional groups, urging strict adherence to safe handling and sanitation protocols during burial rites and public gatherings.
This is as she also disclosed that the FCTA has reiterated that designated isolation facilities—including facilities at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital and the National Hospital—are equipped and standing by, while emergency hotlines and community health structures have been fully integrated to receive real-time notifications.
Dr. Adedolapo advised FCT residents to maintain personal hygiene, avoid unverified rumours, and report any health concerns or inquiries to official FCTA and NCDC reporting channels.
Public health authorities confirmed that so far, only the single index case exists within the Territory. All primary and secondary contacts associated with the individual have been identified, isolated, and tested, with all completed laboratory results returning negative, while a few remaining routine test results are actively being awaited, Abuja Digest reports.
Presenting technical standard operating procedures at the briefing, the Medical Director of Wuse General Hospital, Dr. Oluseyi Asaolu, outlined the operational protocols instituted across secondary facilities, including designated holding wards, mandatory temperature checks at hospital gates, staff safety protocols, and two-tier daily inventory checks for personal protective equipment (PPE).
He noted that the FCTA health facilities are working in synergy with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and other major health stakeholders, to sustain active surveillance without disrupting routine medical operations.
Also speaking during the strategic engagement, the Head of the Department of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the NCDC, Dr. Tochi Okwor, confirmed that the Centre has deployed expert response teams to support capacity expansion, infection control, and facility-level training across public and private hospitals in the capital city.
She noted that the current containment window offers a strategic advantage, stressing that strict adherence to hand hygiene, prompt case reporting, and rigorous infection prevention remain the most effective tools against potential secondary transmission.
