Catch up with the news!

Godwin Obaseki

By Ozioruva Aliu

THE Federal Government yesterday 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 center 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.

Also read: COVID-19: Edo discharges 14th patient, screens over 126,000 residents

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.”
Meanwhile, an engineering construction company, Harbour Engineering yesterday donated food items and other items such as facemasks and sanitizers to the Edo State Government.
The items donated included 100 bags of 25kg rice, 80 bottles of 2 litre vegetable oil, 10 cartons of tomatoes puree, 100 cartons of Noddles, 90 bags of 25kg beans, 2 bags of facemasks, 100  pieces 4 litre palm oil and 1,200 pieces of hand sanitizers.

Making the presentation at Government House, Benin City, yesterday, representative of the company, Mr. Segun Okeni, said the gesture was part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of Harbour Engineering to give back to its host community and state.

He said “Edo State Government partner with us especially in the development of the Benin River Port. So we want to identify with the state government.”

Vanguard