The leader of the Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Mr. Alex Otti, has joined the fight against COVID-19 as he donated medical kits to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia, the state capital, and two faith-based hospitals for use in managing coronavirus cases in the state.
Otti said he was moved to intervene because “the advent of the coronavirus pandemic has exposed how unprepared we are to respond to emergency situations in our dear state.
“Our enquiries have revealed that we are not very prepared in the state should this pandemic hit us. This is in spite of the claims made by the state government in the last couple of days.”
Presently, there are no facilities for testing for the COVID-19 in Abia and other states in the Southeast zone as the federal government did not deem it fit to site any of the existing testing centres in the zone.
“While we do not quarrel with the role of God in situations like this, we would want to remind us that God helps those who help themselves,” Otti said.
Making the donation through his foundation, the Alex Otti Foundation, the former Diamond bank boss explained that the choice of FMC in Umuahia was because the federal health institution “has a new four bed isolation centre and three ventilators is the only health facility that is ready to receive and attend to patients in the state.”
He regretted that the Abia State Teaching Hospital(ABSUTH), Aba, identified as one of the three isolation centres, “has no prepared isolation centre for likely case of the pandemic.
“It has only one ventilator which is the basic minimum standard equipment to deal with patients of the virus,” he said.
Outlining the scope of his intervention to keep out the deadly coronavirus in Abia State, Otti said: “The Alex Otti Foundation has been directed to provide 25,000 pairs of medical hand gloves, 2,500 units of medical facial masks and 2,500 units of medical personal protection robes, 2,500 pairs of medical glasses, and 2,500 pairs of medical booths to the Federal Medical Centre in Umuahia. These medical equipment have been paid for and should reach the FMC before the end of the week.”
