COVID-19: Private sector equips isolation centre in Rivers, donates materials in Enugu

The private sector Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) on Wednesday strengthened the fight against COVID-19 with the handover of a fully equipped isolation centre in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and donation of beds and accessories in Enugu, Enugu State.

CACOVID is a joint initiative of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Aliko Dangote Foundation, Access Bank, UBA, GTBank and other private sector organisations.

A representative of CACOVID and Regional Head, Rivers Region 2 of the United Bank for Africa (UBA), Ms Blessing Ogwu, who handed over the centre in Port Harcourt said the facility located at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt comprises of isolation and a treatment centre aimed at supporting the Rivers State government in handling cases of COVID-19 infections in the state.

Ms Ogwu further said the gesture was a response by private organisations in the country to contribute their quota in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that they were also working with the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Government in that regard.

“We are here today as CACOVID, that is a group of Government and Private Sector Corporate Organizations in Nigeria that formed a coalition against COVID-19; that is fighting together so that we all stay alive together. This facility has been presented to the Rivers State Government by CACOVID.

“It is both an isolation and a treatment centre. It is a three tent facility containing several beds and other facilities which we have handed over to assist Rivers State Government in handling all the cases that might come in.

“It is our prayer that many cases don’t come in, but we don’t also want to be taken unaware. In Nigeria today fighting this pandemic, we are our brothers’ keepers. So everybody is putting resources and ideas together, efforts and energy together to make sure the citizenry of every state and the federation as a whole will have attention in this common enemy that we all have”, she said.

Speaking shortly after commissioning the facility, the Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Professor Princewill Chike lauded the coalition for the gesture, saying whatever effort that could be made to prevent further spread of the disease was welcome.

In Enugu, a representative of   CACOVID, Mrs Chiaka Mbagwu, speaking at the handover of the materials to Enugu State government said the coalition donated the beds and other accessories to assist the state government to equip its isolation and treatment centres, to enable them accommodate more COVID-19 patients.

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“The state has done remarkably effort in equipping this Diagnostic centre and CACOVID came in as a support and to add to what the state has already done. This is a Diagnostic centre from the inception but the CACOVID coalition was able to add 100 beds isolation centre. It will serve as isolation centre in the state”, Mbagwu noted.

Receiving the donated materials, the Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi commended the coalition for their donation, which would assist the state government. Ugwuanyi disclosed that Enugu state had three isolation centres in ESUT Parklane, Nsukka and the State Diagnostic Center, noting that coronavirus pandemic had overwhelmed the health system of many countries.

 

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