The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has distributed the medical supplies received from Chinese Billionaire, Jack Ma.
The supplies include 100,000 ordinary face masks, 20,000 runs of reagents for COVID-19 testing, 913 face shields and 9,999 overall gowns.
Announcing this on its official Twitter handle, the NCDC noted that the supplies had been shared among the 36 states and the FCT based on the needs and priorities of individual states.
“The supplies received have been distributed to states accordingly, with priority given to states with the highest number of cases at the time of distribution.”
We’re grateful for the support from @foundation_ma in strengthening Nigeria’s response to #COVID19
The supplies received have been distributed to states accordingly, with priority given to states with the highest number of cases at the time of distribution pic.twitter.com/dX5zq4IuFE
— NCDC (@NCDCgov) April 2, 2020
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Using priority as a key factor, states with confirmed cases of infections received more supplies than the states that are yet to record any case.
Distribution: Lagos State, having the highest number of infections so far, received the highest supplies. It received 27,678 facemasks, 2,596 overall gowns and 165 face shields.
The FCT, which currently has the second-highest number of infections, received 14,115 face masks, 1,906 overall gowns, and 161 face shields.
Ogun State, with 8 confirmed cases, received 4,375 face masks, 671 overall gowns and 58 face shields.
Bauchi, Edo, Ekiti, Osun, Oyo and Rivers states each received 1,912 face masks, 291 overall gowns, and 26 face shields.
All other states including Benue, Akwa-Ibom and Enugu, where COVID-19 infections have been confirmed, received 1,500 face masks, 110 overall gowns and 20 face shields each.
The NCDC appreciated the Jack Ma Foundation for the timely supplies which it noted, would put Nigeria ahead in the fight to end coronavirus.
What you should know: The medical supplies promised by Jack Ma, co-founder of Alibaba arrived Nigeria last week via the Muritala Mohammed Airport, Lagos and was immediately transferred to the FCT where it was received by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health.