The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has donated food items and hospital equipment to Imo Government to help fight the scourge of the new coronavirus pandemic in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the food items donated include 1,078 bags of rice, 305 bags of beans, 288 bags of garri (cassava flakes), 1,941 cartoons of Indamine noddle, 95 cans (25 litres) of palm oil.
The hospital equipment include 2,200 examination gloves, 600 cartoons of syringes, infrared thermometer, six oxygen mask, ventilators, six ICU beds and sanitary materials among others.
Presenting the items to the state government on Tuesday in Owerri, the NDDC Acting Managing Director, Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, said the commission was aware of the socio-economic challenges posed by the pandemic.
Pondei, who was represented by a director, Tony Okanne, explained that that was why the commission has committed funds to aid the fight against the disease across the region.
He said that the programme fell under the commission’s Emergency Support for Health and Social Programme.
He said that the major constraint in the active fight against the dreaded virus was the generally poor state of health facilities in the country.
According to him, the donation was part of the NDDC’s way of assisting the state government in the fight against the pandemic.
“It is helping to initiate sensitisation and campaign on the prevention and transmission of coronavirus disease in the region,’’ the managing director said.
He added that the commission, as an interventionist agency, also has the mandate to intervene in the health sector by ensuring the well-being of Niger Delta residents.
“NDDC is desirous, at all times, to support the government and people of the Niger Delta region in the area of quality health care delivery.’’
Receiving the items on behalf of the state government, the Chief of Staff to the governor, Mr Nnamdi Anyaehie, appreciated the NDDC for the gesture.
He promised that the items would be put to good use in line with the efforts of the government to contend the effects of the disease in the state.
He also sought for the continued support from the commission in the policies and programmes of the state government. (NAN)
