Oyo State COVID-19 Task Force said it will collaborate with the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan Task Force Team to contain and curtail community spread of the novel Coronavirus.
The Coordinator of the isolation centres in Oyo State and former Chief Medical Director (CMD) of UCH, Prof. Temitope Alonge, disclosed this while briefing reporters yesterday on the activities of the state Task Force on COVID-19, at the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.
This is coming as contact tracing already commenced for COVID-19 patient that died at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, before his result came out.
Alonge said that the concept and principles adopted by the Oyo State Task Force from the onset had put into cognisance factors such as economic, political and scientific forces, which had helped in curtailing the spread of the virus in the state.
He said the UCH Task Force is researching into medications and natural home-grown remedies that can boost people’s immunity against the virus in the state.
He said: “I know that the University College Hospital also has a COVID-19 Task Force that is working very hard to ensure that the patients reported from the hospital are being managed and that their contacts are being managed. So, I believe that all the efforts they are putting in place are going to be beneficial to the workers and the people of Oyo State.”
Prof. Alonge debunked allegations from some quarters that the state COVID-19 Task Force had not involved other health care professionals in the state in its activities to curtail the spread of Coronavirus.
“As a health care professional, I believe very strongly that I did what was appropriate by informing everybody cutting across board and I was glad to welcome them personally as I wrote in the proposal. I’m glad to say that the health care professionals have had training at various levels and are going to participate as volunteers.
“I sincerely hope that those who feel aggrieved should sheathe their swords and partner Oyo State Government in combating this virus, knowing that it has not spared anybody. I don’t think we should cut our nose to spite our face. We should collaborate with one another for the betterment of health care in Oyo State,” he said.
He advised the people to observe hygiene and follow the instructions laid down by experts on COVID-19, to fight the virus.