By Isaac Ojo
The Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Dr Joseph Ugboaja, has called for more collaborations among stakeholders to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr Ugboaja who is also the Chairman, Taskforce on Covid-19, made the call on Friday, at the occasion of the donation of COVID-19 materials to the Tertiary health institutions in the South East by a group known as 100 Igbos USA Inc.
He applauded the group for coming to the aid of hospitals with COVID- 19 materials.
Dr Ugboaja said that it is a thing of joy that in spite of the challenges some members of the group are facing abroad, they still demonstrated the fact that they have not forgotten home, a development which according to him is commendable.
He urged other public spirited persons in the society and corporate bodies to borrow a leaf from the US based group and come to the aid of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) with PPEs needed to contain the ongoing pandemic.
“We are actually not asking individuals and corporate organizations to give us money. What we are asking for is Personal Protective Equipments such as PPE gowns, N- 95 masks, face shields, goggles etc.
“We also need medical consumables such as gloves, jik, sanitizers etc.
“These materials are needed for the protection of members of staff and patients in the hospital during this pandemic.
“The responsibility of giving quality health care to the populace especially those affected by the pandemic should not be left for the government and hospitals alone to shoulder. It should be a collective responsibility.
“Some individuals and organisations have been responding to our call for assistance but we are still in need of more interventions.” Dr Ugboaja stressed.
While presenting the materials, the spokesman of the 100 Igbos USA, Prof Stanley Anyanwu, said that the organization is a partnership consisting of men and women of integrity, investing their time, talent and resources to provide assistance and support for Ndigbo in Nigeria and beyond.
The items donated to the tertiary health institutions in the South East includes PPE gowns, N-95, K N-95, protective goggles, cartons of gloves, infra red thermometers and other materials.
Some of the institutions that got packages include NAUTH Nnewi, COOUTH, Awka, UNTH Enugu, Imo State University Teaching Hospital Orlu, Abia State University Teaching Hospital among others.
