The Federal Government has applauded the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration’s data-driven and robust response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Edo state.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, made the submission during the inauguration of the 300-bed isolation and treatment centre at the Stella Obasanjo Hospital and the third Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) molecular laboratory in the state at the Edo Specialist Hospital, both in Benin City, Edo State.
With the new isolation facility, Edo State now has over 600-bed capacity holding and isolation centres spread across different health facilities in Benin, Auchi and Irrua.
According to Ehanire, “I am here to access the level of preparedness of the Edo State Government in the fight against COVID-19. This is the most significant health challenge of this generation as it has affected over 213 countries.
“We appealed to state governments to create bed spaces and testing centers to tackle the disease. This facility has 300 bed spaces in line with the Federal Government’s charge to states to ramp up effort to contain the pandemic. So far, Edo State has done well and even exceeded the target.”
At the Edo Specialist Hospital, the minister said, “I am privileged to inaugurate the PCR molecular laboratory at Edo Specialist Hospital. Government and citizens should collaborate by following the preventive measures to protect Nigerians.”
On his part, Governor Obaseki expressed concern over the rising cases of COVID-19 in the state.
The governor said so far the state has screened over 260,000 people, from whom 1,583 samples were collected for testing, with over 240 cases confirmed in the state.
Earlier, the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Stella Obasanjo Hospital, Dr. Osagie Ebonwoyi, said that hospital was initially commissioned in 2007 as women and children hospital, but in 2010, it was upgraded.
He noted that the facility has now been remodelled to be a centre to fight COVID-19 pandemic.