The governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde has disclosed that the state government has taken the opportunity provided by the novel coronavirus to upgrade the state’s health facilities.
Governor Makinde made the disclosure at the commissioning of Agbami Isolation Centre, Jericho, Ibadan on Saturday.
The governor said that the Agbami Isolation Centre has been upgraded to meet up with standard of the high net-worth individuals in the state battling with coronavirus pandemic.
According to the Governor, “this facility was commissioned at the twilight of the last administration before we came in, it was a Tuberculosis (TB) Centre at that, we didn’t know that there would be COVID-19 Pandemic but here we are dealing with COVID-19.
“Now because we have the pandemic in our hand and we also have high net-worth individuals in Oyo State that are not comfortable going to Olodo because they want individual room and privacy. For those individuals, we know some of you have aged parents at home and because we have to give concession for such individuals to self-isolate at home and monitor them, now we don’t have to do much of that anymore. With facilities here, you can self-isolate privately, just drive in, we will give you the treatment and we will ensure that you don’t infect others, once we have properly managed you, then you can go back to your various homes.
“I battled COVID-19, so it is not a death sentence and it is not something to be ashamed of. The virus is here with us and it will be here for some time to come, it is not going to disappear two or three months from now, so we have to learn to live with it. So, if any of us is sick, we have the facilities, we have taken the opportunity of COVID-19 to strengthen our health care facilities.
“So, if COVID-19 is no longer here, our facilities will remain, we will maintain them, it is no big deal if anyone tests positive to COVID-19. You don’t need to go and hide at private hospitals where they don’t really have the facilities and also the resources, the personnel to ensure that you have access to adequate care is here,” Governor Makinde said.
The governor acknowledged the effort of the past administration for putting up the structure to enable his administration to build upon it.
“Well, we give the last administration the credit for putting this together even though it was commissioned when it wasn’t ready. I came here and went inside, there was nothing, absolute nothing inside”.
While charging healthcare workers in the state not to relent in their efforts as fight against COVID-19 continues, Makinde praised them for their cooperation.
“And finally, I want to thank you health workers in the state because you are in the frontline in this battle. You had to work with facilities that are not up to standard but we have been partners in progress to lifting up our health care delivery system in Oyo State. I want to thank you and I also want to implore you to please, do not relent, we will do it together and together we will defeat COVID-19.
Packaged by Kunle Gazali
