Though Kogi State in North Central Nigeria was yet to record any case of coronavirus the Natasha Akpoti Foundation has donated three ventilators to the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja.
In a statement in Lokoja by the Foundation, said, although the state had yet to record any COVID-19 case, “the ventilators are the first to be installed in the public health facility in the state” .
Natasha called on well meaning individuals charged individuals to assist the government to fight the global pandemic. “It is trite knowledge that Nigeria’s healthcare sector especially that of Kogi State, is dilapidated largely due to governmental neglect.
“However, citizens can’t afford to fold their arms when humanity is at stake at the wake of this Coronavirus pandemic.
“When I got wind of the fact that Kogi State in its entirety had no ventilators, I thought the most patriotic and humane thing to do was purchase the much could to help my people.
“The three ventilators have been installed at the Federal Medical Centre and they have been unveiled. As of today, there is no recorded case of COVID-19 in Kogi, but it does not mean we should fold our hands only to act at the 11th hour. It is a proactive measure to ensure that whenever any patient surfaces, these facilities would be offered free of charge.
“Beyond this coronavirus pandemic, I hope these facilities will be of service to patients in need of respiratory aid. Healthcare is one area that is very dear to my heart. I grew up amongst the medics, my father was a medical doctor and my elder brother is one too,” Natasha said.
Reacting, the Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, Dr Olatunde Alabi, said the machines will be useful beyond the COVID-19 era to service accident victims along the busy Okene-Lokoja-Abuja road.
“This is a big gesture to Kogi and Nigeria. The ventilators are life support machines that are meant to help patients having respiratory failure. These machines are not readily available even if you have the money.
“So, for her to go the extra mile to get the ventilators for the hospital is a huge thing for the institution.
“Even after the COVID-19, they will still be very useful. So, what she has done is looking ahead. Lokoja is situated along the very busy Okene-Abuja express road where we have sometimes have a lot of road traffic accidents.
“For the first time in this hospital, we would be having mobile ventilators and she is the one that has brought them. She brought two mobile ventilators and one digital static ventilator.
Akpoti was the gubernatorial candidate of the Social Democratic Party in the last election in Kogi state.
