The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 yesterday expressed total commitment to embark on research into a cure for the coronavirus disease. Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman of PTF, Boss Mustapha, stated this at the commissioning of ThisDay Dome’s 300-bed capacity temporary treatment and isolation centre and a 54gene laboratory in Abuja.
He urged all institutes and researchers to step forward and validate their inventions and discoveries to effectively contain the pandemic. Mustapha said the facility was a private sector driven initiative donated by a consortium of like-minded partners, powered by the Sahara Energy Group and
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He noted that the COVID-19 has brought a reawakening to government and the private sector to collaborate in the quest to strengthen the much needed investment in the nation’s healthcare system.
“The pandemic has overwhelmed even the best of health systems in the world, a development that serves all developing nations a powerful notice to wake up.
“This event signified the realisation of the synergy with the commissioning of the facility, which is designed to accommodate 300 beds and is scalable to 500.
“The speed and commitment demonstrated by the partners on this infrastructure is a call to other private sector entities to also get involved in the development of public facilities,” he said.
Mustapha also advocated that lessons drawn from COVID-19 should, therefore, revolve around development, future planning, consensus building, collaboration and partnerships.
The facility also has an intensive care unit for the treatment of severe cases of COVID -19, which would go a long way in providing care for the growing number of cases, especially for levels 1 & 2 categories.
It charged on other corporate bodies and public-spirited individuals to take up the challenge of providing critical support infrastructure in rural communities, as the country progresses to community transmission phase of the pandemic.
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