By IJEOMA UKAZU
Lagos State Government has received medical equipment and consumables from two corporate entities – the New Born Essential Solutions and Technologies, NEST 360 and the Capital Market Support Committee on COVID-19 for the effective management of the third wave of COVID-19 in the state.
Items donated by NEST 360 represented by Dr. Opeyemi Odedere and Capital Market Support Committee on COVID-19 represented by the Chief Executive Officer of NASD-OTC Exchange, Mr. Bola Ajomale are; oxygen concentrator, radiant warmer, suction pumps and oxygen spitter.
Other items donated by the corporate entities include: 400 units of kn94 face marks, 400 units of face shields, hand held pulse oximeters and 2000 units of reusable protective suits.
Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi while receiving the materials at his office in Ikeja from representatives of the organizations commended the donors for recognizing that the battle against the virus is still on and raging.
He disclosed that government is currently undergoing stress in both in human and material resources as well as finance and economy because of the COVID pandemic adding that donations and support from the private sector and partners have always helped to ensure that the State is a step ahead of the virus.
While noting that the State is not out of the woods yet, the Commissioner stated that it is important to bear in mind that the virus is going around in circles. He added that it is not certain if the third wave is going to be the last wave or the state has to learn to live with COVID stressing that the fight against the infection is a shared responsibility that must be borne by all if the State is to triumph.
He said: “We are happy that you recognize that we are not out of the woods yet. COVID is going around in circles and waves, and as you know we are in our third wave now, we don’t know whether this will be the last wave or whether we are going to learn to live with COVID as a factor of life. We are very grateful that you recognized that the battle is still on”.
Abayomi stated that the Lagos State government remains committed to winning the war against COVID adding that the overarching goal of the government is to strike a balance between the management of the public health crisis and the economy. He noted that the responsibility of the government is to ensure that both citizens and the economy are healthy.
“Our objective is two fold, public health of our citizens and the economy. As a government it is our responsibility to ensure that both our citizens and economy are healthy. So it is a delicate balance between managing a public health crisis and managing the economy”, He said.
While assuring that the donated equipment and materials will be adequately deployed and put to good use, the Commissioner stated that some of the equipment will go a long way in assisting the government in its home base case management system.
“Some of these devices here are useful in terms of assessing the magnitude of systemic damage on the body and helps us to define the treatment we should adopt. As you know we are managing most patients at home because we are diagnosing thousands of patients and there is no room to keep all patients in a formal isolation centers which is not unique to Lagos.
“So, some of these devices will help us to know which patients should stay at home and which patients should be moved to the isolation centre”. He said.
Speaking in the same vein, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Olusegun Ogboye opined that the COVID response in Lagos State would have been an uphill task without the support of the private sector adding that the State government will never take any support received from the private sector for granted.
He restated the commitment of the present administration to achieving its health and environment mandate of the THEMES agenda assuring that the State government will not relent in policy making and implementation geared towards the provision of qualitative health care delivery in the state.
Ogboye appreciated the donors and other stakeholders for extending their hands of support to the government in this perilous time adding that the support received by government gives a ray hope in the onslaught against COVID.