NCDC, WHO hail Ogun’s efforts on COVID-19

Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have hailed Ogun State Government’s efforts at curbing the spread of Coronavirus pandemic.

They spoke after inspecting the first state fully funded molecular laboratory at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu and the 128-bed COVID-19 Isolation and Treatment Centre at Ikenne.

NCDC and WHO said they are impressed with the quality of facilities on ground, the human capital and the willingness of the Governor Dapo Abiodun administration to ensure that the state does not become a safe haven for the COVID-19 pandemic to fester.

NCDC Director-General Dr. Chike Ihekweazu praised the state government for giving directions to other states on how to deal with the Coronavirus pandemic.

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He said that the agency was proud of what the state had done and promised to work with the government to battle the Coronavirus pandemic.

Ihekweazu added that the centre believed the state deserved to benefit from some of the most stringent support the centre could offer.

“I think what I have seen in Ogun today and over the past few weeks in my engagement with the Commissioner, Dr. Tomi Coker, is a willingness to go the extra mile. For us, the job is half done, so on behalf of the National Centre for Disease Control and the World Health Organisation, we are committed to supporting you. You have been on this journey longer than any other state in the country, so you deserve some of the most stringent support that we have,” he said.

Dr. Ihekweazu noted that it was a bit difficult to stop social gathering because the country remained a social country, and urged the state government to communicate with the people in a way that they would take ownership and responsibility for the changes in the lifestyle they would have to adopt.

“We are a social people, a social country. We love interactions, being close to one another, hugging one another, celebrating one another, our weddings, our social events, football…all these are things that define who we are, and giving up on all of that for longer periods of time will come with some pains. This is really where your leadership skills will be so needed. Yourself and other leaders in the state should do more to communicate with the people in a way that they will take ownership and responsibility for the changes in the lifestyle they will have to adopt,” he said.

The Country Director, WHO, Dr. Fiona Braka, lauded the state government for having the capacity that could take in more patients, saying WHO is impressed with the government’s action.

“We are so much impressed and will like to congratulate Your Excellency and your team that has been working very hard. We could not join you for the launching of those isolation facilities…thank you for the invitation. But we are here to see what you have done. We leave with a positive note that there is capacity in Ogun State to take more patients, so congratulations, Ogun State,” she said.

Governor Abiodun said the state is set to tackle the pandemic, adding that the state is set to begin the process of giving face masks to its people as soon as it receives the first batch of a million pieces.

He said the state has invested billions of naira in terms of setting up isolation centres, sensitisation, manpower development, surveillance, procuring equipment and other logistics and especially to purchase food items to be distributed across the state to mitigate the effects of the lockdown on the citizens.

The governor said that the molecular laboratories and what the WHO and NCDC team found in the state “were through self-help.”