Dr Michael Ariyibi, the Chief Medical Officer of the department told our correspondents in Badagry that the training would enable volunteers to identify people with COVID-19 and those who had contact with confirmed cases.
“We are all aware of the pandemic, we don’t want it in Badagry but all the same, we need to prepare ourselves for it.
“So, the training programme is actually for fact finding among the residents of Badagry.
“They will go round the communities and find out from house to house if there is any confirmed case or if there is anybody who had contact with confirmed case.
“Such person will be isolated by us.
“This house to house fact finding team will help us to get residents who have the symptoms but are afraid to come out due to stigmatisation from people around,” he said.
Ariyibi said that Lagos State Government had provided five Red Cross members and five volunteers per ward, adding that the council had also provided 10 volunteers to assist them.
“Altogether, we have 200 members in the team, they will be divided into 10 groups, making 20 in a group.
“We have 20 members in a group that will go round each ward for 10 days starting from April 7.
“We started the training programme on April 6 in Ajara Primary Health Centre and we are observing social distancing, that is why we are doing it bit by bit.
“It is our hope that within this period, the team would have succeeded in going through its assignment,” he said.
The chief medical director appealed to residents of Badagry to stay at home so that the team would meet them when they came to their homes.
“We are appealing to you that it is better for you to stay at home so that you will not be infected by the COVID-19 or if you have it, you will not infect anybody with it.
“It will be difficult for our team to know your true status if you are not at home. I implore you to stay at home and stay safe,” he said.
