The private sector led Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) has donated fully equipped isolation centres and medical equipment running into several millions of naira to the Ondo and Kwara state governments.
The group, which comprises leading private sector operators, had earlier donated similar items to the governments of Rivers and Enugu states.
CACOVID, while handing over a 100-bedspace isolation center and medical items in Ilorin, Kwara State said its efforts were meant to complement the federal government’s action against the spread, and to end the pandemic in Nigeria. Some of the state governors had cried out for help to fight the ravaging coronavirus.
Speaking at the hand-over ceremony to the Kwara State government, the spokesperson of CACOVID, Mrs Grace Olagunju said the gesture was to support the government to successfully fight the virus in the state.
She said, “As you are aware, as a result of the pandemic that is ravaging the world and the country, CACOVID, a coalition of private sector organisations – felt the need to join hands together with various governments and agencies, and with Kwara being one of the active governments, we found it worthy to make our own contributions such that the state can be able to fight the war and win.
“Of course, our interest is in health and lives of the citizens of every state; we felt as responsible corporate organisations we should do this to support the state government.”
The representative of Kwara State government, chairman Medical Advisory Committee of COVID-19 Technical Committee in the state, Dr Femi Oladiji commended CACOVID for the gesture, stressing that it would help the state government in its efforts to successfully fight the pandemic.
In Akure, the Ondo State capital, the Coalition donated medical equipment and beddings to Ondo State Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH), where 10 patients are currently undergoing treatment and three suspected persons are being isolated.
The head of Ondo state COVID-19 Task Force, Dr Busari Ismail disclosed that though the three suspected cases had tested negative, they would still need to run another test before they could be discharged if found negative.
Representative of CACOVID in the state, Mr Akinbode Akinola, in his remarks revealed that the group donated 100 beds, 100 mattresses and other bedding accessories to the IDH, some of which are already in use in the Wards.
The state commissioner for Health, Dr Wahab Adegbenro appreciated the Coalition’s gestures, urging corporate organisations and philanthropists to join government in fighting COVID-19.