The Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) of District 404 A1 has donated personal protective gears, and other medical supplies, worth $10,000 (about N3.9 million) to boost Nigeria Centre for Diseases Control’s (NCDC) fight against diseases, especially the novel Coronavirus.
Handing over the supplies to the Lagos State Centre yesterday, the District Governor-elect, Lion Adetokunbo Aromolaran said the donations was the Lions Clubs way of appreciating the NCDC and the medical and health workers who were in the frontlines for the efforts to save lives and contain the dreaded spread of the virus.
“LCIF decided to do something to support the system, especially those in the frontline by supplying them with materials with which they too could protect their lives while they are working hard to save the lives of others, ” Aromolaran said.
Aromolaran who was accompanied by other members of the club including the Past International Director (PID) and Africa’s leading major donor Lion Hameed O. B. Lawal, Past District Governor Alex Irotumeh, Chairperson LCIF District 494 A1 Lion Omotunde Johnson and Air Vice Marshal Anthony Okpere (rtd), said Lions Club International has already set aside a $300 million global grant to fight diseases, natural disasters and epide such as COVID-19 around the world.
He said the club decided to pass its donations through the NCDC because it is at the fore front of managing the COVID-19 in Nigeria, and in a position to know where they are needed.
Among the materials donated, he said, are medical reagents, medical sample containers, and thermometres, hand sanitizer, face masks, hand gloves, and protective gears.
Receiving the donations, on behalf of the NCDC Director General, the Deputy Director/Head of Central Public Health Laboratory Mrs Olajumoke Babatunde, thanked the Lions Clubs for the gesture.
Mrs Babatunde who was accompanied by the Assistant Director/Head of Diagnosis, Central Public Health Laboratory, Dr Aniefiok Ekoh said all hands must be on deck to promote public safety and personal hygiene which would ensure they are protected from COVID-19.
Mrs Babatunde said people should stop stigmatizing people who are COVID-19 positive adding that the disease like every other viral attack is not a death sentence.
She said the medical materials would not only be distributed to those who would maximally make good use of it.