From Francis Namsak,Lafia
Nasarawa state government has demonstrated an appreciable level of commitment, control and also spent handsomely towards curtailing and containing the spread of coronavirus disease in the state, by taking proactive measures through the provisions of facilities, equipment and funding, channelled to ensure that the pandemic is brought under control.
It would be recalled that the strange virus that has rapidly spread across the world, made an in road into Nigeria exactly in February with the first index case at Ogun state. Today Lagos and Abuja are the epicentres of rampaging monster.
Nasarawa state at a later period became one of the states that have recorded high rise of the virus, since its first index case of a 25 year-old lady, who had a travelling history from Kano into Kokona local government area of the state.
The number of indigenes of the state who have been tested of the coronavirus ,from March till date, stands at 250 confirmed cases, with about 150 of them successfully handled and discharged, and 8 of the victims had been reported death.
The cheering news against the diseases outbreak is that the state government in its effort to curtail and contain the spread of the coronavirus, proffered several solutions in both cash and kind to ensure that the people of the state are free from being contacted or when infected get treated.
First , the state government constituted a committee involving some members of the state executive council, security and traditional rulers. It then drew out a plan on sensitization and awareness that was hatched into a proclamation order, which brought about a partial lockdown of Lafia, the state capital, while Karu local government was placed a 24hour curfew.
Governor Sule to show his administration proactive measures against the disease, made a personal donation of Ten Million Naira (10,000.000.00) to enable the restructuring and purchase of some equipment.
Also, partners of the state, corporate organisations, individuals, traditional rulers, led by their chairman, Nasarawa State Council of Chiefs, cumulatively made donations . In all the state got over one hundred and twelve million Naira (N112, 000.000.00).
With the financial support from the state government, the total money realised for the fight against the deadly disease stands at five hundred million Naira,(N500,000.000.00); an amount that has been spent on renovations, purchase of equipment, drugs and feeding of the infected persons.
Nasarawa state today has facilities spread across it three senatorial zones, for the purposes of fighting the diseases outbreaks, not only for the treatment of COVID-19 b the facilities that can be used for the treatment of Lassa Fever, Ebola and Malaria fever.
To this end the government ensured the expansion of one of the wards in the Dalhatu Specialist Hospital to a 110-bed space, which was reserved as an isolation centre.
Recently, the governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule on an inspection to one of the completed facilities; diseases control and research centre, expressed satisfaction with the level of work, promising that it will be equipped ,alongside the interventions of some partners and the NCDC ,who had also earlier inspected the centre.
The AUTHORITY gathered that about N1.7 billion has so far been spent on the project, this is with the view of setting up the centre for professional medical researches.
