Two Lagos State House of Assembly committees on Wednesday visited four isolation facilities in the state to ascertain how Coronavirus patients are responding to treatment.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Joint Committee of the House on Health Services and Information and Strategy, headed by Mr Hakeem Shokunle, appealed to residents to adhere strictly to the lockdown order.
Shokunle said that the lockdown was imposed by the government to stem the spread of the virus.
NAN reports that the facilities visited included the Mainland Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) Yaba, Isolation Centre at Onikan Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Eti-Osa Isolation Centre and the Cardiac and Renal Centre General Hospital, Gbagada.
The lawmaker said that the visit was to ascertain the adequacy or otherwise of health care services at the centres.
Shokunle also spoke on the importance of the government’s “sit-at-home” order, saying that it is the best way to curb the spread of the virus.
He urged residents to bear a little more of the hardship that trailed the COVID-19 battle, adding that it was necessary to strictly adhere to restriction order so as to stem the spread of the virus.
Shokunle said that the state government was doing everything possible to mitigate further spread of the virus.
“Government really needs the cooperation of the people; people must obey the stay-at-home order to reduce the spread,’’ the committee chairman said.
The visiting lawmakers observed that there was inadequate provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and testing kits at the IDH, Yaba for frontline healthcare givers, the nurses and hygienists.
The chairman promised to make recommendations for the provision of more PPE and kits.
He commended Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his pro-activeness in fighting against the pandemic.
Shokunle noted that the lockdown, if strictly adhered to, would further aid quick detection and immediate medical attention.
Speaking on the barrage of complaints that trailed the distribution of palliatives items in the state, the Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategies, Mr Tunde Braimoh ,appealed to Lagos residents to persevere a little more.
Braimoh said that the situation demanded drastic actions which were not prepared for.
He said the House of Assembly members, being the closest to the people, observed that complaints received across the state border on palliative.
According to him, this is why the committee was set up by the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, to meet with the state executive arm of government and put the complaints forward.
“We told the state government that there were so many complaints about the inadequacy of the palliative; in some places, it was not adequate, in some others, they have not received at all,’’ Braimoh said.
He appealed to people to exercise restraint and be introspective in their reactions to the dictates of the time.
Dr Nifemi Oloniniyo, the Medical Officer at the IDH, who represented the Managing Director, Dr Abimbola Bowale, took the committee round the facility.
Oloniniyo said that the facility had 103-bed spaces for patients and two Isolation Centres around it.
He called for more equipment as the number of COVID-19 patients was increasing by the day. (NAN)
