The Cross River State Government has lamented the lack of funds to check coronavirus in the State.
Addressing a press conference in Calabar yesterday, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Barr Tina Banku Agbor, lamented that lack of funds was impeding efforts to control the spread of the virus
“We require funds to urgently equip the three Isolation Centres, procure ambulances and other ancillary equipment for the centres, support the production and distribution of face masks to all the nooks and crannies of the State, provide social support through conditional cash transfer and food palliatives to identified core poor and vulnerable in the State,” the SSG said.
The SSG further said, the fund needed would be channelled towards adequatelly manning the state’s porous borders to prevent the proliferation of the disease and provide logistics support to the monitoring task force.
The SSG disclosed that “From the meagre resources of the state, an initial take-off sum of N500 million and fifty (50) branded operational vehicles were released to the task force on COVID-19 in the State
“Recall too, that to give effect to the border closure and the No Mask, No Movement directive, the Governor recently joined the border manning team at the Itu Bridgehead and spent the entire night with the team.
Meanwhile, the state government in collaboration with the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital had established an isolation centre to cater to patients that may present symptoms of the coronavirus disease.
“The centre is presently being equipped with necessary facilities in conformity with established standards. However, considering the far-flung nature of some local governments in the State from Calabar, the State capital, it has become imperative that additional isolation centres be created at Ogoja and Obanliku local government areas to cater for our people in far-flying local governments from Calabar.”