CACOVID, NCDC to support Oyo govt on coronavirus battle with N350 million

The Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) are set to donate the combined sum of N350 million to support Oyo State’s containment efforts against COVID-19.

The State’s Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Akinola Ojo and a member of the COVID-19 Task Force, Professor Temitope Alonge, told a meeting of the Task Force presided over by Governor Seyi Makinde that while CACOVID was supporting the state with N30 million cash for rehabilitation of isolation centres, it will also give equipment worth N220 million.

The NCDC, according to the Task Force members, will also support the state with N100 million.

This development was coming on the heels of collaborations between the state government, authorities of the University of Ibadan, scientists and traditional herbal medicine practitioners in a bid to find a home-grown cure for COVID-19.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, also indicated that the state was wrapping up its isolation centres to 320-bed capacity.

“The government of Oyo State is receiving a donation of N250 million from the CACOVID team. The sum of N220 million is reserved for equipment and N30 million for renovation of the facilities at the isolation centres,” the statement said.

The statement also indicated that while the state had completed work on the Infectious Disease Centre, Olodo, Ibadan, which has 100-bed capacity, it is also working on a 100-bed isolation centre in Saki, 40-bed isolation centre in Ogbomoso, 40-bed isolation centre in Igboora, 10-bed centre in Agbami, Jericho and another 24-bed centre in Aawe near Oyo town.

This was as the government of Oyo State and the University of Ibadan have unveiled an effort aimed at discovering a home-grown cure for the novel Coronavirus.

The collaboration, according to the Executive Assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde on Administration, Rev. Idowu Ogedengbe, who represented the state government, was aimed at midwifing a town and gown approach that would lead to a sustainable cure for COVID-19.

The statement quoted Ogedengbe as telling newsmen at the second meeting of the committee, which held at the Agronomy Department, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ibadan, that effort to discover a home-grown solution to COVID-19 was in top gear.

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