Looted Palliatives: Invaders Vandalise Kogi Central Medical Store, Empties Entire Content
AREWA AGENDA – The Kogi Central Medical Store has been burgled and equipments worth billions of naira stolen.
This invasion of the Medical Store may not be unconnected with recent developments where residents are discovering and looting COVID-19 palliative warehouses in States across the country.
The looting of COVID-19 warehouse started from Lagos and has extended to states like Oyo, Osun, Plateau, Edo and Kwara.
According to the statement Thursday by the Honourable Commissioner, Kogi State Ministry of Health, Dr. Saka Haruna AuduDr. Saka Haruna Audu, the entire content of the store was lost to the invaders.
Wondering why they had to loot the store especially since it beared no semblance to food items, the Commissioner expressed regret that the development will make it difficult for the State to recover as it has no capacity provide what was carted away within a short time frame.
See full statement below:
PRESS REFLEASE.
1. With a heavy heart I am obliged to make public a very sad development, a kind of which I have never witnessed my whole life. The Kogi State Central Medical Store was burgled and equipment worth billions of Naira were stolen. Those that couldn’t be stolen, like the walk in refrigerator for immunization, components of MRI/CT Scan machines were vandalised beyond repair. Others were moved from the store and broken into pieces in nearby bushes.
2. It is indeed a very unfortunate development that the State will find very difficult to recover from as we don’t have the capacity to provide what have been carted away (or Vandalised) in a short term period.
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3. The situation is indeed worrisome, and should be a cause for concern to all Kogites as it sets us back many paces in our efforts to provide quality Health care to all. It is also beyond my comprehension as the items in our store bear no semblance to food items which could be of benefits to these heartless invaders. The impact of this dastard act will linger for long.
4. We are currently quantifying the extent of the damage and will eventually make public the list of stolen items and cost implication. As it stands, we lost the entire content of the Kogi State Medical Store. Not even office equipment or ordinary immunization cards were left untouched. Medical Equipments, Drugs, Medical Consumable, Office Furniture, Computers, ACs, Solar power unit, Fans etc were all looted.
5. The implication of this is that the Drug Supply Chain and cold chain for routine immunization will be disrupted. We are going to be unable to carry out routine immunization!
6. This is one of the saddest moments in my entire tenure as the Commissioner for Health, as I keep picturing a gloomy and uncertain aftermath for the Kogi State Health Sector. I am heartbroken and we are at a loss on how to come out of this predicament.
7. A store that successive State Government Administrations and Health Development Partners have invested Billions of Naira to equip emptied in a matter of hours is heart wrecking!.
8. I therefore call on the federal government of Nigeria, Health Department partners, Donor Agencies, well meaning Nigerians to assist the State Government in her Health Sector Recovery efforts.
Our health Sector is in crisis!
Dr. Saka Haruna Audu,
HC Ministry of Health,
Kogi State.
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