Policemen guarding the Ejigbo isolation centre in Osun State on Saturday lamented over what they described as poor welfare and lack of protective gears for the discharge of their duties.
This was just as all the returnees who tested negative and not from Osun State left the isolation centre in Ejigbo on Saturday for their respective states.
From the breakdown of the figures, 11 of them are from Imo, Abia, Delta and Edo, 11 from Oyo State, two from Lagos, while one is from Ogun State.
One of the policemen, who spoke on behalf of others numbering about 80, told the Osun State deputy governor, Mr. Benedict Alabi, that they received N1,000 for the past three days after resuming duties in the isolation centre and were not given any food.
He said that they had not been given nose masks, hand gloves and other protective gears, saying with the peculiarities of the environment in the isolation centre, the provision of protective materials was critical for their health.
Responding, the deputy governor, who also doubles as the chairman, COVID-19 Taskforce Committee in the state, assured that all their complaints would be looked into, just as he charged them to be effective in providing security at the isolation centre.
When Tribune Online moved around the facility, some of the returnees, who have tested positive to coronavirus, numbering 17 were kept inside a newly-constructed air-conditioned ward.
Though Tribune Online was not allowed to speak with the patients, some of the health workers, who spoke under condition of anonymity said those who tested positive were in good and stable condition.
According to Alabi while speaking to journalists at the isolation centre in Ejigbo, “there is a mix-up we are trying to sort out in the laboratory and another state which I won’t mention now. None of the Cote d’Ivoire returnees that tested positive is missing, they are all in the isolation centre.
“All those who came into the state, we profiled them by getting their phone numbers, addresses and that of their next of kin. Some did not believe the test we did which is the reason we have security personnel around them.
“We are trying our best to see that we are fully prepared in Osun State and that is all the effort we are making. All the index cases we have in the state are in the isolation centre and are being taken care of and all the ones that are negative are preparing to leave for their various homes.”
However, one of the returnees, who tested negative, Alhaji Mojeed Animashaun, an indigene of Iwo appreciated the state government for their kind gesture, just as he apologised for their hitherto unruly behaviour.
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