Reports from Anambra State indicates that the state’s Ministry of Health has discovered four whole sets of unused ventilators packed in its central warehouse in Awka, the state capital.

The ventilators were said to have been procured by the former Governor of the state, Mr Peter Obi.

According to the report, the ventilators, along with other medical equipment, were procured by Obi as part of the equipment for Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU) Teaching Hospital Amaku Awka which the former governor Obi, built and equipped before leaving office.

The former Commissioner of Health during Mr Peter Obi’s administration, Professor Amobi Linus Ilika confirmed that the ventilators were part of medical equipment bought by Obi’s government shortly before it left office, before some of them could be put to use.

According to Ilika, there could be more of the ventilators and other important equipment in the store.

“There could be more. I can’t remember how many we bought. They were part of medical equipment I bought in the United States of America. They included kidney dialysis machines some of which may be obsolete if not used.

“The Government of Mr. Peter Obi bought six containers load of medical equipment and the contents were packed in that big store near Fire Service building along Enugu-Onitsha expressway.”

Ilika advised the Ministry of Health to check for more sophisticated medical equipment at the big store located in Awka.

“They should check for more equipment in that big store because there are a lot of them that were procured and secured there before we left office”. He also lamented that when Obi left office a lot of things he started were abandoned and installation of the medical equipment might be part of that.

• Princess C.