Cross River takes a swipe on FG over COVID-19, we should be your pride, not your shame
by Agosi Todo, Calabar
Cross River state government has taken swipe on the federal government accusing it of not showing concern to the state as regards the coronavirus pandemic also known as COVID-19.
The state government which is not happy with the response attitude of the federal government by assisting the state in fighting the pandemic said that since the last visit of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) which they made a lot of promises, nothing has come out of it and, “I will use this medium to plead with Mr. President and NCDC to support prevention, disease control should be your pride and not your shame…”
The State Commissioner for Health who also doubles as the Chairman, COVID-19 Response Team, Dr. Betta Edu briefing journalists on May 29th 2020, almost in tears accused the federal government of celebrating COVID-19 while people are dying of other dreaded diseases saying ,”Malaria is killing one thousand daily, maternal mortality is killing thousands and we are here celebrating COVID-19.
“It is sad to know that our country is refusing to support a state that has no coronavirus, I can’t just understand it. We have so magnified COVID-19 that health workers have allowed patients with other ailment to die. We are so glorified to hear every day that we have 500 cases, 350 cases and we celebrate it”.
Edu wondered, “how many people are we going to lose or allow to die before Nigeria stops magnifying COVID-19? We tried as a state and maybe prevention is not enough.
“Health workers are scared of going to work, malaria, high blood pressure and other ailments are killing over thousands in Nigeria, no one has called for press briefing to address them, so why are we celebrating COVID-19?”
EDU who felt frustrated with the federal government attitude said, “as a state we will say we have had a good fight, now it is all up to the federal government to do the rest, maybe at that point, we will get support…”
Recall that few weeks ago, NCDC, led by Dr Omobolande Olowu visited the state and among other things promised to come back to upgrade the Lawrence Henshaw Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) and the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) to test centres and also provide more sample test kits.