The Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), in Abia state, Alex Otti has reacted to some precautionary measures taken by the Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s administration to prevent the spread of Coronavirus pandemic in the State.
Otti, in a press statement forwarded to DAILY POST on Wednesday, urged teh State not to shy away from its responsibility of providing health care services to the citizenry now that the Coronavirus pandemic is ravaging across the world.
He claimed that the present government was unprepared to curtail the global disease and lamented that Abia currently lacked basic health facilities to prevent the spread of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Otti, “This is in spite of the claims made by Abia State government in the last couple of days. For instance, we have been told by experts on ground that Abia State Teaching Hospital has no prepared isolation centre for likely cases of the pandemic. It has only one ventilator which is a basic minimum standard equipment to to deal with patients of the virus. The Federal Medical Centre Umuahia which has a new four bed isolation centre and three ventilators is the only health facility that is ready to receive and attend to patients in the state, even though it is a Federal government facility. The state government spoke about a certain hospital in Amachara Umuahia. It is unfortunate that the government is referring to a hospital with no isolation Centre and no ventilators and therefore not in any state to attend to Coronavirus cases. A major challenge is also the provision of gears and personal protection equipment for the medical personnel who are supposed to attend to patients. This is of utmost importance as the safety of our medical personnel is not negotiable. They must be alive to save lives.
He continued, “I remind the government of Abia State of the old saying that prevention is better than cure. It is therefore expedient that the government rises to the occasion and bans pubic gatherings of any kind including weddings, burials, birthday and Chieftaincy celebrations, church and mosque services, schools and markets for non essential goods, while ensuring serious supervision at markets where essential goods are sold. These may look difficult but it is better to be safe than sorry. This pandemic is real and should be treated with all the seriousness it deserves, because victory against Coronavirus can only be achieved through vigilance, seriousness, sincerity and collectivism”.
While imploring the citizenry to maintain the highest level of hygiene as recommended by health experts, the renowned banker, urged them to see social distancing and voluntary quarantine as compulsory depending on the peculiar circumstances.
“We must not be shy to report suspected cases to the appropriate authorities. Above all, we must avoid the dissemination of false information, and concealment of information relating to the Coronavirus pandemic”.
Otti, however, used the opportunity to disclose that he has directed for the provision of 25,000 pairs of Medical Hand Gloves, 2,500 units of Medical Facial Masks and 2,500 units of Medical Personnel Protection Robes, 2,500 Pairs of Medical Glasses, and 2,500 pairs of Medical Booths to the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia.
He disclosed that these medical Equipment have been paid for and should reach the Federal Medical Centre before the end of the week.
