Covid-19: Okowa pledges conducive environment for patients as Shell donates medical equipment

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has promised to provide a conducive environment to care for patients that have contracted Corona virus.

The Secretary to the Delta State Government (SSG) Mr Chiedu Ebie made this known when he received on behalf of the State Government, medical equipment donated by the Oil and Gas Industry Intervention Initiative on COVID-19 under the NNPC and Shell Joint venture for the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in the State.

The SSG said the State Government took the issue of Covid-19 pandemic very seriously hence it set up a Covid-19 Committee chaired by His Excellency, Senator, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa which met regularly to review issues with the medical team.

He equally stated that because of the State Government’s commitment in the treatment of the virus, it had established various treatment centers across the state with the recent commisioning of the temporary 70 – bed treatment center built by the NNPC/Agip Joint venture at the Stephen Keshi Stadium.

Mr Ebie said it was worrisome that people still did not believe that the Covid-19 virus is real despite the rising number of cases recorded in the State even as he stated that as at today there were 317 confirmed cases with 224 active while 76 person’s had been discharged and 17 persons had also lost their lives.

The SSG commended the NNPC/Joint venture for donating the medical equipment including the PCR machine which he said would enable the State to carry out more test as the machine has the capacity of testing 200 people in a cycle.

He assured that the medical equipment would be deployed immediately and put to maximum use.

Earlier in his remarks the Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company Nigeria Limited (SPDC), Mr Osagie Okunbor represented by Mr Evans Krukrubo, External Relations Manager, SPDC commended the State Government for it’s untiring efforts and vigilance to keep the people and communities of Delta State safe in the face of the threat posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said SPDC is committed to supporting the State Government at managing the pandemic even as it recognized the absence of adequate testing capacity globally and in Nigeria.

The items donated are Automated Electric Device (AED), Sunction Machine, Infrared Thermometers, Surgical gloves and Hand Sanitizers.

Others are Google Face Shields, Oxygen Concentrators, Folding Stretchers, Surgical Face Masks, Hospital Beds, PCR machine, Medical Ambulance and Oxygen Cylinder and  a machine capable of conducting 1, 000 tests daily.