The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has donated medical equipment and allied consumables worth millions of Naira to the Akwa Ibom State government to help in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
Two persons have been confirmed death from complications of COVID-19 in the state with more than 20 cases.
The equipment include ventilators, ECG machines, infrared thermometers, infusion pumps, standard hospital beds, mobile dialysis machines, arterial blood gas machines, mobile ultrasound machines, syringes and many more.
Actingg Managing Director/Chief Executive of the commission’s Interim Management Committee(IMC), Kemebradikumo Daniel Pondei while presenting the items to the state government said the commission was committed to assisting states in the Niger Delta to fight the pandemic.
Pondei who was represented by the Akwa Ibom State NDDC director, Obot Udoete said, “The commission is fulfilling its mandate to intervene and partner the state governments in the region in the battle against Covid-19.
“The NDDC appreciates the near-overwhelming impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and it’s why the Commission considered it urgent to supply the medical equipment to the nine states in the region.
He assured the state government of the good intention of the interim management committee of the commission which he said would ultimately translate to more robust interventionist projects and programmes for the state.
The Secretary to the State Government(SSG), Emmanuel Ekuwem who received the items on behalf of Governor Udom Emmanuel, thanked the commission for the kind gesture.
Ekuwem said the medical equipment and the consumables supplied by the commission were in line with Governor Udom Emmanuel’ strategy of tackling coronavirus pandemic.
“The governor places a high premium on the well-being of the Akwa Ibom people and as such these medical supplies would go a long way to add to what the State government has already put on ground in its aggressive fight against COVID19 pandemic,” he said.
The SSG expressed the governor’s appreciation of the medical supplies by the NDDC’s IMC and promised to put the items to good use.
In his remarks, the Akwa Ibom state Commissioner of health, Dominic Ukpong, said there was the need for every agency of government to join hands in the fight against COVID-19.
He further thanked the management of the commission for the medical equipment and assured that the equipment will be directly deployed in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic.
Similarly, donations have come from corporate organisations including banks and Mobil Producing Nigeria, which recently presented medical vehicles to the state government.
