General Hospitals Ikot Abasi, Ikot Okoro, disinfected

By Emma Akpabio

Residents of Ewet Housing Estate in Uyo-Akwa Ibom State capital, were the latest beneficiaries of the ongoing environmental decontamination exercise embarked upon by the Akwa Ibom State Government against the further spread of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Led by the Chairman, Obong Prince Ikim, the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency (AKSEPWMA), took the disinfection exercise on Wednesday April 22, 2020 to General Hospitals Ikot Okoro and Ikot Abasi respectively, before landing in Ewet Housing Estate Uyo, to focus on some streets and residential apartments in the area.

Speaking during the exercise, Dr Idongesit Ndaeyo Itaketo who is the Vice Chairman - Infection prevention and control (IPC), a sub Committee of the Akwa Ibom State COVID- 19 incident management committee, described the exercise as a step in the right direction.

The Traumatology Surgeon and Orthopedic Consultant who disclosed that the liquid used for the decontamination exercise contains a minimum of 0.5 percent hydro chloride capable of killing the virus, added that the exercise was one of the measures recommended by the COVID-19 incident Management Committee of the State Government to prevent further spread of the disease.

On his part, the AKSEPWMA Boss - Prince Ikim, who reiterated that the public places and private residents visited during the first phase of the exercise were on recommendation by the incident committee, reassured all Akwa Ibom residents of Governor Udom Emmanuel's commitment to stop the spread of COVID-19.

In entirety, local governments areas visited in the first phase of the exercise include Eket, Uyo, Itu, Essien Udim, Oron, Ikot Ekpene, Ikot Abasi and Oruk Anam. However, the award-winning waste Management boss stated that the second phase of the exercise will commence on Monday, April 27, 2020.

Speaker after speaker, some Environmental Consultants and medical Practitioners who reacted to the exercise, commended Governor Emmanuel's effort in fighting COVID-19, imploring residents and citizens of the State not to see the Government's restriction order as a punishment, but an important sacrifice that must be made to stop the spread of the virus.