Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu has honoured ten frontline health workers for their commitment and dedication to the health care service delivery especially in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in the state.
The award presentation ceremony which was held on Friday as part of activities marking the one year in office of Mr Sanwo-Olu as the governor of the State.
Amongst the honorees are; Prof Sunday Omilabu, an internationally renowned virologist, Principal Investigator at the Lagos State Biobank and Director, Centre for Human and Zoonotic Virology, College of Medicine University of Lagos; Dr Sunday Adesola, a Principal Medical Officer, who has contributed immensely to case management of COVID 19 at the Isolation Centre of Mainland Hospital Yaba and deployed to head the Onikan Isolation Centre and Mrs Basirat Adeoye, the Apex Nurse at Mainland Hospital Yaba.
Others are, Mr Folarin Amosun, a pharmacist from Lagos State Ministry of Health who has demonstrated immense logistic skills in the management of the COVID 19 stores and ensuring an uninterrupted supply chain; Mr Olufemi Akinade, a hygienist/medical waste cleaner; Dr Bisola Adebayo, a Consultant Public Health and Community Medicine Physician and Lecturer at LASUTH/LASUCOM who has been coordinating contact tracing, case investigation and active case search; Mr Olanrewaju Aladetuyi, a laboratory scientist, known to carry out highest manual extraction of samples (250) as part of RT-PCR for COVID 19; Mrs Abiola Aduloju, the administrator of Mainland Hospital Yaba; Mr Alaba Anago, an ambulance driver and Mr Tajudeen Bankole, one of the gateman/security officer at the Mainland Hospital Yaba.
ALSO READ: Court acquits Senator Adeleke from alleged exam malpractices charge
In his address at the presentation of award plaques to the health workers, Governor Sanwo-Olu said the government of Lagos state will not wait till the eradication of COVID-19 before acknowledging the effort and contribution of the health workers who he described as unsung heroes battling the global pandemic on behalf of other citizens.
He noted that the last one hundred days would have been chaotic if not for the dedication and sacrifices made by the health workers.
“The ten of you here today are by no means the only people deserving of the honour but this is just a show of our appreciation for the effort you have put in so far. We are not out of it yet, but as we go along, they say the delay is denial; we certainly cannot wait till it is over before we begin to acknowledge our own (frontline health workers). That is why we are excited that your principals looked around and picked you for this honours.”
He added that the ten awardees stand in the gap for other cadres of health workers at the frontline at the primary, secondary and tertiary health facilities as well as the isolation centres across the State noting that all of them are deserving of “our appreciation and commendation.” Sanwo-Olu noted that the dedication of the health workers has increased their workload especially at a difficult and trying time such as this.
Governor Sanwo-Olu admitted that though more needed to be done to revive the economy, he gave an assurance that the lessons being learnt from the pandemic would be employed in developing the State post-COVID-19.
“It is not only about COVID19, but this is also about the whole health structure, about what we need to do and what we can learn from the COVID19 pandemic and beyond”, he said
Earlier in his remarks, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi noted that a ceremony to honour health workers in commemoration of the first anniversary of Governor Sanwo-Olu’s administration is commendable and a morale booster for State health fraternity.
He stated that the Governor has once again demonstrated exemplary leadership as the Incident Commander of the COVID-19 battle in Lagos and as a team player who appreciates the efforts of other team members to achieve the desired result.
Abayomi added that the Governor has demonstrated his leadership skills by leading from the forefront, visiting intervention and treatment sites and supporting all the noble initiative of the Incident Command System.
“While we are recognizing the front line health workers, I think it is important for us to establish that Mr Governor himself is a chief frontline health worker. We really appreciate the role you have been playing. You have been in the front line and the battlefield in so many ways; you have visited all the sites, you have been active and you have been exposed, these are true attributes of leaders that lead from the front,” he noted.
COVID-19: Ogun Govt Lifts Lockdown
The Ogun State Government has lifted the lockdown order pronounced on the state, since the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic to combat the spread of the disease from Monday to Friday. This was contained in the address of the State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, on Thursday, while updating the efforts… Read full story
Osinbajo Heads Use Of Toilet Campaign Committee
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday inaugurated the Steering Committee of the “Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet Campaign,” which he leads as chairman. Tribune Online reports that the committee comes as stakeholders continue to ramp up efforts to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country… Read full story
Doctors Refusing To Treat Patients Of Other Ailments Over Fear Of COVID-19, Says PTF
More deaths are being recorded in patients with other ailments because medical institutions in the country are refusing to handle cases because of fear of contracting coronavirus, the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on the pandemic has observed… Read full story
Malami Explains Why Buhari Signs Executive Orders
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), on Thursday, said the Presidential Executive Orders are aimed at complementing existing legislation and ensure inter-agency coordination in the process of implementation… Lagos Lagos Lagos Lagos Read full story
and then