With the cases of Coronavirus rising on daily basis, governments of Nasarawa and Gombe have commissioned three new isolation centers fully equipped by the Private Sector led Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) to stem the tide of the scourge in the two states.
Nasarawa State governor, Engr Abdulahi Sule received the equipment and inspected some of the ventilators among other equipment already installed in some wards at the isolation centre.
The governor assured that the gesture by CACOVID will go a long way in helping the state government meet its obligations in curbing the spread of the COVID-19 in Nasarawa State.
Sule, who was obviously overwhelmed with the amount of ventilators and other hospital equipment received from various philanthropists promised that all hands would be on deck to ensure the state intensifies its awareness campaign against the virus.
In Gombe, CACOVID renovated and supplied equipment to two general hospitals designated as isolation centers in the state. Another of the centers, which used to be a snake bite treatment center situated inside the General Hospital in Kaltungo LGA, was furnished and equipped by CACOVID and was inaugurated by the state deputy governor, Dr Manassah Daniel Jatau.
A representative of the CACOVID, Mr Louis Ugwuezi listed the items donated to the state government to include 60-bed for General Hospital, Kaltungo and 40-bed for General Hospital, Bajoga, Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), autoclave and 5,000 facemasks among others to both hospitals.
Ugwuezi said the CACOVID is a joint initiative of leading investors and private sector led by the president of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, to galvanise urgent support in the fight against the COVID-19 and to strengthen Nigerian healthcare system.
Speaking after inauguration of the centre, the deputy governor described the gesture by CACOVID as a big push for the state government in handling the Coronavirus pandemic and to expand the frontiers of containment measures against the virus.
He urged other organisations to borrow a leaf from the CACOVID and assist the state government in its effort to contain the virus. He also appealed to citizens to assist the state Taskforce on COVID-19 by giving them accurate and timely information about suspected cases for immediate quarantine, isolation and treatment.