Access Bank Plc is at the forefront of the interventions deployed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic by big players in the private sector, the bank’s Group Managing Director, Herbert Wigwe has said.
He said the bank played a major role in the formation of the Coalition against COVID-19 (CACOVID), a task force instituted to ensure the minimisation of the impact of Coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria.
Speaking on the bank’s activities, Wigwe said, “In our characteristic manner of offering ‘more than banking,’ Access Bank is at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19. Through our various projects, we are looking to support the government and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) by providing facilities that can serve as both testing and isolation centers.
With a guiding strategy of making impactful social investments, and giving back to the society, this new joint effort with other members of CACOVID has seen the bank donate N1 billion to facilitate the building of 1000-bed isolation centers across the six geopolitical zones of the country.
The building of the test and isolation centers will be in phases. The first phase of the project is the construction of additional testing and isolation centers, in Lagos (Yaba and Gbagada), Enugu, Kano, Port Harcourt, Borno, and Abuja.The next phase of the project will see the construction of additional centers in more states of the federation to enable early detection and testing of suspected COVID -19 cases as well as treatment of confirmed cases.
Wigwe said that despite the strides being made, there was need for all Nigerians to adhere to stipulated social distancing guidelines, and practice regular hand washing as directed by the World Health Organization. “We are positive that we can beat the spread of the virus, if we all comply with the safety measures as advised by the NCDC and World Health Organization, ” he added.
He further stated that, Researchers have identified early detection and isolation as important parts of ending the spread of the virus and that making testing and isolation centers more accessible, will help save more lives.
As reported cases increase on the spread of the virus across the country on a daily basis, Nigerians have been implored to follow the government’s instructions as these measures are being enforced to reduce the high risk of the virus spreading through the large population.
