Coronavirus: Alex Otti Foundation donates Isolation Centre, protective equipment in Abia

BY OUR EDITOR

The Alex Otti Foundation (AOF) has announced the donation of Isolation Centre and several protective medical equipment to hospitals in Abia State, as a proactive measure in the fight against coronavirus infection, in the country.

Abia State is one of the 29 states in Nigeria that is yet to record any case of the coronavirus. So far seven states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, have been afflicted by the virus, with Lagos topping the list with 30 cases.

But while the state government is still stuttering in its preparation towards the protection of lives of the citizenry, a prominent indigene of the state, Dr Alex Otti, OFR, has intervened, through his Foundation by donating a six-bedroom house, medical protective wears, hand gloves, facial masks, medical boots, sanitisers and infrared digital thermometers to the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia and three other private and faith-based hospitals, across the three Senatorial Zones of the state.

In a statement he personally issued Wednesday, announcing the donation, Otti, a former bank Chief Executive, said coronavirus is not a respecter of persons and therefore people should not continue to live in denial, rather they should protect themselves and families from the attack.

He painted a lurid picture of what led him to intervene: “Our enquiries reveal that we are not very prepared in the state should this pandemic hit us. 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 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.

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“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.”

Mindful of the above sad realities and the ugly effect that a possible coronavirus presence in the state might have on the people, the former gubernatorial candidate of APGA said he was moved to direct the Alex Otti Foundation which he has used to provide educational scholarships and other humanitarian assistance in Abia State, to intervene.

Consequently, the Alex Otti Foundation will be donating 25,000 pairs of Medical Hand Gloves, 2,500 units of Medical Facial Masks and 2,500 units of Medical Personal Protection Robes, 2,500 Pairs of Medical Glasses, and 2,500 pairs of Medical Booths to the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia; Living World Hospital, Aba; All Aro USA Hospital, Arochukwu and Madonna Hospital (owned by the Catholic Church), Umuahia.

In addition to the medical consumables, The Alex Otti Foundation also has taken delivery of a six-bedroom duplex with two-room boys quarters in Umuocham, Aba, which, according to Dr Otti, will be handed over to the Living World Hospital, also in Umuocham Aba, free of charge, for conversion to an Isolation Centre in Aba. “This property is just a few minutes away from the hospital and arrangements have been made with the hospital to operate this Centre,” Otti said.

Further to the above, Otti said the Foundation’s offices in Aba, Umuahia and Ohafia are opened to the public who may have need for some protective items, such as, facial masks and hand sanitisers.

“Finally, may 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 public 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.

“We also implore fellow citizens to maintain the highest level of hygiene as recommended by experts. Washing of hands with soaps should be observed as many times as possible in a day. Use of sanitizers should be part of our new routine. Social distancing and voluntary quarantine should be seen 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 admonished.