Two weeks after the Executive Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde announced the conversion of one the buildings in the State Hospital in Saki, to an isolation centre, the facility is still locked because the contractor has refused to release the keys.
This was revealed to OYOINSIGHT.COM by an highly placed source, who preferred to remain anonymous, on Saturday.
OYOINSIGHT had on the 17th of April reported that a delegation led by the former Chief Medical Director of UCH, Professor Temitope Alonge inspected the hospital ahead of the commencement of activities at the facility on the 18th of April as stated by the governor.
However, according to the source, the state government is having issues with the contractor who has refused to release the key to the facility.
The source stated that the facility is yet to be completed noting that “they have only the structure on ground” but “electricity supply and some other very essential things are yet to be fully completed in the facility”.
The source stressed further that the contractor had informed the medical community in the town that the isolation centre can’t be used until an official handover to the state government.
The source added that the contractor is yet to complete the work because the government is yet to settle the contractor in certain areas, including finance.
The source also noted that, on Thursday ,the state government sent another delegation from the ministry of health to access the facility in a bid to determine whether the project will be withdrawn from the current contractor and handed over to someone else or not.
The source also revealed that the equipment Access Bank promise to donate to the Isolation center is giving the community a tough time because Access had disclosed that they can’t hand over the equipment to them in the current state the place meant to serve as the isolation centre is.
On the issue of the suspected COVID-19 cases in the town at the moment, the source stated that the town is yet to record any significant suspected case except some individuals who came in from Cote’d ivoire despite the closure of the land borders about two weeks ago but were intercepted by the Kwara state authorities who followed them to Saki.
However, on reaching Saki, there was no Isolation centre to quarantine them. The community had to improvise by using a hall owned by the local government to isolate them.
“These individuals are still at the hall pending the result of their samples that had been collected for COVID-19 test the taskforce’ said the source.
The source added that the hall is an ordinary one without the full capacity to serve its occupant like an Isolation center.
The source noted that the the local government is, to certain extent, proactive in the fight against the pandemic.
However, “If the state government did not sort out the issues it has with the contractor and ensure the opening of the facility as soon as possible, the might lead to an a situation no one wants can predict the outcome,” the source said.
OYOINSIGHT.COM has not been able to get the reaction of the state government as messages sent to the numbers of top government aides have yet to be replied as at press time.
