The immediate past chief medical director, CMD, of the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan, Professor Temitope Alonge, has hailed the Oyo State government readiness to combat the pandemic coronavirus in the state.
Alonge, while speaking with Tribune Online, on Sunday at the Oyo State Infectious Disease Isolation Centre, Olodo formerly Ajimobi maternal and paediatric centre, said he has gotten the mandate from the Oyo State government to assist the state’s Ministry of Health in setting up the Infectious Disease Isolation Centre.
He noted that the Oyo State government under the leadership of Seyi Makinde is leaving no stone unturned in its fight against coronavirus in the state, noting that it would be unfair to say the government is not ready to curb the spread of the pandemic disease.
“It is not true that the government is doing nothing to fight coronavirus.
“It is not fair on the Executive Governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde who is the chairperson of the task force that has been set up in the fight against this virus.
“He is chairing it with everything he has, he is in control and he has taken sound advice from experts,” he said.
He also said the government has put in place everything needed to contain the surge in the virus.
“As it stands, the requirements for the take-off of a bigger surge is in place, the Agbami centre has a ten-bed space, which is why this centre has been created and it will be ready in the next five days.
“We only need to put in some finishing touches, like Oxygen, running water and Solar panel system. We also have a small mortuary because not everyone will survive but we don’t pray for anyone to die. In a setting like this, people are bound to die and we have to provide them with decent storage,” he said.
Also speaking, the Director, Planning, Resources and Statistics, Oyo State Ministry of Health, Dr Abass Gbolahan, said the government is working with UCH to curb the virus.
“UCH has been a partner in the management of pandemics in the state, we have an isolation centre there too.
“The Executive Governor has also supported UCH in creating a testing centre, so we don’t have to take samples all the way from here to Lagos,” he said.
Also, Ronke Adepetu said in combat of this COVID-19, Alonge is ready to form a team of medical practitioners, virologist, medical lab scientists to train healthy volunteer in safety and emergency beforehand.
According to her, she said the volunteers are to help the medical practitioners who are likely to be overwhelmed in the fight of the pandemic.
