Apparently disturbed by the rising number of Coronavirus cases in the country, the Private Sector Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) has donated an isolation centre to the Ogun State government, pledging to deploy available funds to save more lives of Nigerians who may be infected with Coronavirus. According to the coalition, “there is no money that can replace human life”.
CACOVID also states that the emergency health response initiative against COVID-19 jointly formed by the investors and players in the nation’s private sector, is deployed to bridge the gap in the health infrastructure which has been seriously exposed and tested by the outbreak of Coronavirus in Nigeria.
Speaking at the handover ceremony of 65-bed Isolation/Treatment Centre which was prepared to contain cases of COVID-19 in Abeokuta, Ogun state capital by CACOVID on Wednesday, Ademola Bilesanmi, Access Bank Regional Manager, West and Team Lead, CACOVID, said: “COVID-19 is a global issue, it is a massive health challenge to the nations of the World and has affected lots of things.
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“So, as responsible private organizations, we thought it necessary to support the Federal Government and respective State Governments in the country for the fight against COVID-19. What we are doing is supporting their efforts and jointly fight this cause. We have spent hundreds of millions and we are doing it across all the States of the Federation, including States that don’t have COVID-19 cases.
“It’s a multiple-pronged approach; we help bridge the gap of the health infrastructure we have in the country, which to a large extent, COVID-19 has exposed and we need to up our game as a nation in terms of health infrastructure. There is no money that can replace life, whatever it is that is available to us, we are willing and ready to spend and deploy it to ensure we save as many lives as possible”, he concluded.
Receiving the 65-Bed Isolation/Treatment Centre donated by CACOVID to Ogun State Government in Abeokuta, Governor Dapo Abiodun acknowledged that the donation of beds, clinical equipment and Isolation/ Treatment Centre would strengthen not only the fight against COVID-19, but would also boost health infrastructure available in the State even beyond the era of COVID-19.
Governor Abiodun, who was represented by Tomi Coker, Commissioner for Health, said: “Today marks the commissioning of 5th Isolation/Treatment Centre and this is as a result of a partnership between CACOVID which is a combination of several private sector organisations to help Government fight against COVID-19 Scourge.
“With this, they (CACOVID) have donated 100 beds to us, including sought-after equipment such as mobile x-ray, several oxygen concentrators, multi-parameter patient monitoring equipment and several other things to the tune over three figure of millions.
“What does that mean, it means that we in Ogun state, despite being prepared and responding, this has increased our capacity further in our fight against COVID-19. Not only has it increased our capacity to fight against COVID-19, it has also given us the opportunity to strengthen our already existing health infrastructure, which means that when COVID-19 is gone, equipment you have donated and beds can be utilised effectively in our existing facilities in years to come; we will still remember your effort.
“At this point, on behalf of His Excellency, Governor Dapo Abiodun, I will like to acknowledge you (CACOVID) for this extreme generosity, with this, we would like to thank all of you for coming here today.”
