COVID-19: We are struggling with bed spaces in Lagos — NCDC …Our isolation centres are filled to 90% capacity — Lagos
The Nigeria Center for Disease Control, NCDC, said yesterday that it is currently “struggling” for bed spaces for the treatment of COVID-19 patients in Lagos State which has the highest number of persons infected by the coronavirus in Nigeria.
Disclosing the development in Abuja during the daily Presidential Task Force media briefing on COVID-19, the Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, said efforts are being made to change strategy not to allow the inadequate bed spaces affect the fight against COVID-19 in Nigeria.
Ihekweazu said: “Lagos is the only place where we are struggling with bed spaces for now. We will always tell Nigerians the truth. We are struggling with bed spaces in Lagos for now.”
But reacting to the remarks, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, said although the isolation centres across the state were 90 percent filled, he assured Lagosians that there was no cause for alarm.
Sanwo-Olu, who spoke through his Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, said: “It is true that our isolation centres are filled with patients but there is no cause for alarm. We have made other arrangements with some hotel managers who have offered us their facilities as isolation centres, coupled with three other isolation centres newly opened with one in Yaba already in operation.
“We are not unmindful of the challenge facing us as the epicentre, that’s why the Incident Commander, Governor Sanwo-Olu, in his foresight, approved the setting up of more isolation centres before now which have been quite helpful and we are still upscaling our capacity.
“Do not forget, Lagos discharged about 49 persons on Wednesday, after they recovered from COVID-19, thereby, creating more space. We are on top of the situation, so there is no cause for the alarm.”
Similarly, a 25-year old male patient has died from coronavirus infection in the state.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, who stated this on his twitter handle, explained that the deceased was brought in a state of breathlessness due to the severity of the coronavirus infection.
Abayomi said: “We regret to announce additional COVID-19 related death involving a 25year old male who at the time of admission was in a state of severe breathlessness. The total number of COVID-19 related deaths in Lagos is now 20.”
Also, the Lagos State government has discharged another set of 12 patients who have tested negative for the disease after spending some days at the isolation centres in the state.
Governor Sanwo-Olu said the 12, including a Ukrainian, comprised nine males and three females were discharged after they tested negative to the virus on two consecutive occasions.
