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Olabode Adaramola
Niger government said it has spent N795 to fight the recent outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic in the state.
Secretary to the Niger State Government( SSG) and Chairman of the state Task Force Committee on COVID- 19, made the disclosure when he appeared before the state House of Assembly to brief the house during plenary on Thursday, on the activities of COVID- 19 in the state.
National Wires gathered that that the house had on Tuesday March 9, summoned the SSG and the state Commissioner of Health and Hospital services Dr. Muhammad Makunsidi to appear the house on Thursday to brief the house on activities of COVID-19 pandemic in the
state.
Matane explained that the money was used to provide palliatives that was distributed across the 274 wards of the state as well as payment to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Comapny (AEDC) electricity to improve power supply during the lockdown and improved water supply.
He added that part of the money was used to purchase medical supplies such as ventilators, personal protective equipment, establishment of molecular laboratory testing center at IBB university and others.
The SSG said that other expenditure were on sensitisation on preventive measures of COVID-19 by media houses, press briefing and live programmes with media organisation.
He, however noted that the state government opened a trust fund account and received donations of over N47 million from private organisation and individuals as part of their social responsibilities and contributions to the fight against the pandemic .
Matane further disclosed that the state government also received 1,800 bags of rice and 700 Jerry cans of vegetable oil from the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Services.
He added that the state government also received donations of food items from Dantata Nigeria Limited, Flour Mills and others.
In his own remarks , the Commissioner for Health and Hospital services, Dr . Muhammad Makunsidi, disclosed that the state had recorded 46 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in nine local government areas of the state, adding that 26 recovered and were discharged with one death recorded.
He added that 291 signals of COVID-19 cases had been received, adding that the ministry trained 99 health personnel on infectious diseases control, 29 medical laboratory scientists for sample collection across the 25 local government areas.
Makunsidi opined that the ministry also retrained disease surveillance and notification officers for case definition and case search of contact persons and monitoring, adding that 175 personnel on harmonise COVID-19 were also trained in the 25 local government areas.
