A fragile Kogi State with multipherous challenges may face irredeemable health problems as hoodlums on Wednesday looted the State’s Central Medical Store and vandalised medical equipment and consumables worth billions of naira.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Saka Audu disclosed this at a press conference in Lokoja, after he led a team from his Ministry and the media on inspection of the looted warehouse.
He said it would be difficult for Kogi State government to recover from the looting, saying that what we’re carted away by the suspected hoodlums were quantified in billions of naira.
He lamented that there was no intervention from any quarters while looting was on.
He said: “With a heavy heart I am obliged to make public a very sad development, the kind of which I have never witnessed in my whole life.
“The Kogi State Central Medical Store was burgled and equipment worth billions of naira were stolen.
”Those equipment that couldn’t be stolen like the walk-in refrigerator for immunisation, components of MRI/CT Scan machines were vandalised beyond repair while others were moved from the store and broken into pieces in nearby bushes.
“The situation is indeed worrisome and should be a cause for concern to all Kogites as it sets us back many paces in our efforts to provide quality healthcare to all.
“It is also beyond my comprehension as the items in our store bear no semblance to food items which could be of benefit to these heartless invaders. The impact of this dastardly act will linger for a long time.”
According to him, government will come out with details of what carted away and the cost involved.
Dr Audu stressed that the entire content of the medical store, office equipment and immunisation cards were not left by the hoodlums.
He further explained: “Medical equipment such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computed Tomography machines, Digital Mammography, Digital Radiography, consumables, drugs, office furniture, air conditioners, solar power unit, and fans, among others were either looted or vandalized by the hoodlums.
“The implication of this is that the drug supply chain and the cold chain for routine immunisation will be disrupted. We will not be able to carry out routine immunisation for the good people of Kogi State.”
