The management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has donated 20 ventilators to the government to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.
The agency’s Director General, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, disclosed this in Lagos on Sunday, while also announcing the donation of N50 million to fight the virus scourge in the country; with N30 million going to the Federal Government Committee on COVID-19 Intervention and N20 million to aid the Lagos State Government’s effort to control the spread of the virus.
Also, NIMASA has volunteered its six fast intervention vessels to be committed to facilitate transport logistics support in the maritime sector, just as volunteers from the agency will be deployed to join first responders from the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Lagos and other states in managing the spread of the pandemic.
The Ventilators are equipments that assist patients in breathing, a process sometimes referred to as artificial respiration, which are basically needed at this time to help fight the disease.
Jamoh stated that, “the coronavirus pandemic is upon humanity. It came suddenly upon a virtually unprepared world, and demands drastic actions from all and sundry to contain the virus and salvage our common humanity. We are concerned about the effect of the pandemic on the socio-economic life of the country, especially at a time NIMASA, Nigeria’s maritime industry regulator, is driving a Blue Economy campaign, to make maritime a key part of President Muhammadu Buhari’s economic diversification agenda.”
The Agency has also volunteered four fully equipped brand new Ambulances, four Hilux trucks and four 36 seater coaster buses to support and facilitate land based logistics in the Federal capital Territory, Lagos, Delta, Rivers, Cross River and Kaduna States.
Other medical equipment the Agency donated to enhance the fight against the COVID 19 in Nigeria include, 60 Beds, 20 Patient ICU Monitors, 20 Oxygen Concentrator, 10 Infusion pump, 10 Syringe pump, 20 Oxygen giving set, 10 Suction machine and 100 set of Personal Protective Equipment PPE.
“This is our little contribution to aid the robust efforts of the Federal and State governments to fight the virus. It is our token of love, concern for Nigerians and a gesture of appreciation to the authorities’ proactive measures in this collective fight against a common enemy. Jamoh added.
It is noteworthy that the COVID-19 is currently ravaging the world with cases hovering around 600,000 people and in excess of 30,000 deaths.