• Calls for collaborate with more private hospitals
The Lagos State House of Assembly has called on the State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to take proactive measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic from further spreading in the state.
The legislators made this clarion call at the last two plenaries on Monday, July 6 and Thursday, July 9.
The lawmakers, further, requested the governor to investigate what led to the protest by the street sweepers of Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) over non-payment of salaries as seen in the video that has since gone viral.
Meanwhile, the House reacted to the death of their colleague and Chairman, House Committee on Information, Strategy and Security, Tunde Buraimoh, who represented Kosofe Constituency 11.
Buraimoh was said to have passed on last Friday to coronavirus-related infection. According to the Assembly said it was imperative for the governor and stakeholders in the country to involve private medical providers in the fight against the virus.
Unanimously, the legislators urged Sanwo-Olu to direct the state’s Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi to collaborate with the state chapter of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) to accredit more private hospitals to treat those infected with COVID-19.
Speaking at the plenary, the lawmaker representing Oshodi-Isolo Constituency 1, Hakeem Sokunle, in motion 23, 2020 entitled: ‘Need to allow private hospitals participate in the treatment of COVID-19 patients’, lauded Sanwo-Olu’s efforts in mitigating the pandemic.
While commending the governor for creating about seven isolation centres, the lawmaker decried that the pandemic continued spreading.
Sokunle suggested, “Private hospitals with the necessary facilities should join forces with government’s health workers to fight the pandemic. Most of the doctors treating the patients are being paid by the state government.
“NMA once warned their members over treatment of COVID-19 patients. We need to involve private hospitals so that they could support the state government and prevent another lockdown. If the government involves private doctors and members of the state chapter of NMA, and train them, it will be easy to handle.”
