The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has distributed liquid oxygen to some hospitals in Abuja on Thursday to support the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.
The hospitals are University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Department of State Service (DSS) Hospital and NAF Hospital, among others.
The Chief of Medical Service, NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Gideon Bako, said that NAF had been supplying oxygen to hospitals across the country since the emergence of COVID-19 in 2020.
Represented by the Commander, 063, NAF Hospital, Abuja, Grp. Capt. Muzzammil Muhammed, Bako noted that the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, initiated the idea of supporting hospitals across the country by supplying them liquid oxygen.
According to him, this development has helped in the fight against the pandemic.
“The service deems it necessary to ensure that most hospitals across the country do not lack oxygen.
“We have supplied many hospitals with liquid oxygen, especially the FCT.
“All what the hospitals need do is to bring their cylinder to the airport.
“We will refill them, transport them back and distribute to them free.
“We have come to realise that many hospitals are battling with oxygen.
“Getting oxygen is becoming a big problem, so, NAF decides to move in,” he said.
He promised that the service would continue to supply hospitals with the product across the country.
“We are ready to continue to support hospitals with the products until the disease ceases to exist,” he said.
One of the recipients, Mr Nathan Yatufate, Director of Medical Gasses, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, noted that oxygen was the mainstay of COVID-19 patients’ survival.
“Since we started receiving the oxygen from NAF, it has reduced casualties in the treatment of the disease,” he said.
“Before NAF’s intervention, we use to operate at 65 per cent but since the service comes in, we have been operating well” he said.
Yatufate pleaded with Nigerians to obey the National Centre for Disease Control’s (NCDC) safety protocols to avoid the spread of COVID-19 virus.
“Unfortunately, the second wave of the pandemic is very frightening,” he observed.
Yatufate also appealed to Nigerians to maintain social distancing, personal hygiene, wearing of face masks and washing of hands with running water and soap regularly.(NAN)
