Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has declared his administration’s readiness to upgrade the 100-bed isolation and treatment Centre in Saki, Oke Ogun area of the state. Governor Makinde spoke while receiving medical equipment worth N220 million from the Coalition Against COVID-19, a private sector initiative that is supporting federal and state governments in fight against COVID-19.
The governor, represented by his deputy, Rauf Olaniyan, said when completed, the treatment and isolation facility in Saki will be an improvement on the one at Olodo, Ibadan.
CACOVID, in partnership with First Bank of Nigeria, had earlier promised the state the sum of N220 million worth of medical equipment and a cash gift of N30 million.
Among the equipment donated to the state are a lead ECG electrode, heavy duty apron, autoclave, auto syringe pump, biohazard bag, blood warmer, centrifuge (refrigerator), defibrillators (AED) and portable ultrasound imaging.
Others are mobile digital x-ray unit, face shield, protective goggles, hospital gowns, oxygen cylinders, wheelchairs, oxygen concentrator, oxygen regulators, nebuliser, kidney dish, patient multi parameter monitor, stretcher and suction devices, among others.
He said, “The Saki Isolation Centre is going to be three-in-one. It will have what you call an observatory, isolation and treatment centre.
“The reason we need to have an observatory is because Saki is a border town and many people come in from different parts of the West African states, especially Burkina Faso and Benin Republic, they come in through that area.
“So, when patients come in, what we do is to create an observatory. An observatory is not available in Olodo as I speak. So, Saki is the only one that will have an observatory, an isolation and a treatment centre.”What that means is that the bed capacity of Saki ideally should be more than that of Olodo. Saki already has a 100 capacity bed, divided into Intensive Care Unit (10), High Dependency Unit (20), general male and female ward (70).”
