The House of Representatives is set to commence investigation into alleged sharp practices involved in the issuance of certificates for COVID-19 vaccination, and the perceived lack of coordinated data base for such vaccinations.
The House also asked the federal government to immediately overhaul the operations of the Port Health Service and equip the facility to a world-class standard in view of the decayed infrastructure in the agency.
The resolution was fallout of a motion on Thursday by Hon. Obinna Chidoka, who noted that as a precondition for foreign travels, that intending travellers present their vaccination cards showing evidence of Covid-19 vaccination, and his expectation also that records of Covid-19 same carried out by various health authorities nationwide should be uploaded to a database which can be accessed by the Covid-19 units at the various entry and exit points in Nigeria particularly, the airports.
Based on a personal experience which denied him attendance of a conference in the UK recently, the lawmaker expressed concerns that the Port Health Services at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja do not have efficient synergy with the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHC) that takes care of the Covid-19 vaccination.
He lamented that “the NPHDA with all the resources at its disposal cannot maintain effective and efficient handling of its data base such that its website collapses frequently, rendering it mostly inaccessible”, a development he said frustrated his journey when he took a jab, and the records could not accessed at the airport.
He explained that in his predicament, a staff member who volunteered, saying “I can help you” in a manner that suggested a gratification will be needed calls for urgent investigation to curb the menace.
The House Committee on Healthcare Services was mandated to investigate the issuance of fake Covid-19 cards to travellers by the agency and the Covid-19 Units to ensure that such records are duly kept in an approved data base.
