The Chairman of the House Committee on Health Services at the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon Akeem Sokunle, has said that Lagos State has been able to flatten the curve of the virus.
Sokunle revealed that the Pandemic has led to much development in the healthcare sector in the country while stressing that there are a lot of lessons to learn from the outbreak of the virus.
The lawmaker, representing Oshodi/Isolo Constituency 1, added in an interview the state specifically and the country generally would soon defeat the deadly pandemic.
“With the flat curve that we are having now, I am giving it two months to come to an end,” he said, adding that people should use Vitamin C and go through the media to boost their immune system.
“The cases are reducing from over 500 to fewer figures. If we maintain the rules and regulations given by the government we should be able to get to the ground level of the Pandemic.
“I am talking of rules such as use of face mask, and maintaining social distance amongst others.
“COVID-19 would soon be over in the country in the next two months. I am not God, but I am optimistic that we will soon get rid of the virus. It is my personal opinion and not that of the state government” He said.
On the claim in some quarters that the virus is a fallacy, the lawmaker advised that they should believe that there is COVID-19 and listen to what the government is saying on how to reduce its spread.
While admitting that there are hunger and other challenges in the state, the lawmaker emphasised that this did not mean that the people had to die and that anyone that is sick of the virus should get treated.
Sokunle stated that if someone’s immune system could withstand the virus, the person should think about others that could be infected with it.
“That is why I said people should protect themselves. It is not that the government wants to inconvenient you, they also protect themselves.
“People are saying that COVID-19 is a sickness of big men, when you get to the isolation centres in the state, you would see that the big men that are dying are few, a lot of poor people also die, but you don’t get to hear their names,” he said.
The lawmaker explained that it was unfortunate that Nigerians found themselves in the situation, but that it would have been better if the state had all the facilities on ground now a long time ago and used them appropriately.
He said: “I go to the isolation centres regularly, I even inspected the one donated by Alhaji Aliko Dangote and I am impressed.
“But I am not so happy because of the Pandemic. One thing I know is that the Pandemic would lead us to the development of our healthcare sector.
“It has opened our eyes to a lot of things in the sector. By the time we are done with COVID-19, we would be able to reactivate the best aspect of the health sector in Lagos State,” he said.
On how soon the vaccine for Coronavirus would be ready, Sokunle said that developing the vaccine was not the issue, but the clinical trial.
While saying that Nigeria relied on what was being done on the vaccine for the virus from other parts of the world, he said that the Pandemic would give Nigerians the ability to think straight.
He emphasised that he didn’t see anything wrong in research works, but that a country that did not have a steady power supply might not be able to do research works.
“Research works are highly expensive, we need constant power supply for researches.
“As our electricity is epileptic, how do we do it? By the time the Pandemic is totally eliminated, I think Nigeria needs to sit down and work on its power, education and health sectors on the way forward. This Pandemic has opened our eyes to a lot of things,” he stated.
Responding to the attitude of some front line workers who abandoned their jobs over welfare and fear of contracting the virus, the lawmaker said that they should work as professionals.
“If you decide to stay in your home, what about contracting the virus in at home.
“What about soldiers, should they back out because there is war. Is that not stupidity? It is their chosen career.
“There is hazard in every job, even journalists face hazards. So you don’t need to chicken out because of the Pandemic,” he said.
While reiterating that the Pandemic would help the health sector of the state to develop, he expressed optimism that the health sector in the state would soon match up with the international standard.
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