The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Wednesday in Abuja distributed personal protective kits to its operatives in all formations to protect them against contracting the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
The FRSC Corps Marshal, Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, who made the presentation at a meeting Strategic Session with Commanding Officers, said the equipment was to protect them from the virus while on duty.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the distributed items are hand gloves, hand sanitisers, and nose guards, among others.
Oyeyemi said that the corps was aware of the risk its officers in the field were exposed to due to contact with accident victims.
“The essence is to equip them with all they need for protection; we are aware of the risk involved, especially for our officers on the highway.
“During rescue operation, there is a need for us to protect our men involved in such operations.
“We have provided protective gears in our roadside clinics so that when our officers make contacts with the injured, they are protected where an infected person is involved”.
The FRSC boss commended the Federal Government for its efforts at containing the spread of the virus outside Lagos.
He said the corps was taking the welfare of its operatives seriously as it would partner the Federal Mortgage Bank in providing houses for them.
“We are working with the Federal Mortgage Bank to provide accommodation for our officers”.
Earlier, Mrs Olaniyan Oladunni, the Corps Medical and Rescue officer, advised operatives to ensure a high level of personal hygiene.
She said that by distributing protective equipment, the corps was taking precautionary measure in case of contact with infected person in the course of duty.
She urged the officers to properly dispose of any used hand gloves if contaminated, and to always apply hand sanitisers.
“Our level of hygiene is good enough to carry us through but we need to be proactive and we are taking precaution”.
She warned them against having contacts with bats, monkeys, chimpanzees and wild animals otherwise known as “bush meat as they are possible carriers of the disease”.
NAN reports that five Nigerians have died of the disease while three others have recovered from EVD since Liberian-American Patrick Sawyer died of the disease in Nigeria on July 24. (NAN)