COVID-19: Lagos to Accredit Primary Health Care Facilities as Isolation, Treatment Centres, Says Sanwo-Olu

Matilda Omonaiye/

Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has disclosed plans to introduce community management of COVID-19 cases in the state.

The move, according to the governor, is aimed at decentralising the treatment and management of infected persons, owing to the increasing pressure on the limited facilities available in the existing isolation facilities.

The Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Chikwe Ihekweazu, had recently disclosed that the agency was already facing the challenge of inadequate bed spaces at the isolation centres in Lagos State.

He said the federal government was considering the possibility of allowing COVID-19 patients to be treated at home where a separate room can be provided for their isolation, as part of measures to address this challenge.

Also, the Lagos State health commissioner, Akin Abayomi, said last week that the number of COVID-19 cases in the state is projected to rise to between 90,000 and 120,000 by July.

As of yesterday, Lagos State remains the epicentre of COVID-19 in Nigeria with a total of 1,861 confirmed cases.

Currently, infected persons are being treated at eight dedicated isolation centres in the state, including the Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba; Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba; Gbagada General Hospital; First Cardiology Hospital; Onikan Isolation Centre, Onikan Stadium; Landmark Isolation Centre, VI; Lekki Isolation Centre and the Agidingbi Isolation Centre, Ikeja, which is reserved for frontline health care workers who become infected.

The government is also planning to build two more isolation facilities in Badagry and Epe. It said the Badagry facility would used to quarantine suspected cases pending the confirmation of their COVID-19 status.

Sanwo-Olu however disclosed over the weekend that the government would soon accredite primary healthcare facilities in the state to the manage COVID-19 patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms.

The governor disclosed this in a series of tweets via his verified Twitter handle, @jidesanwoolu.

He wrote, “In the weeks ahead, there will be a change in our isolation strategy as we transition towards decentralization. 

“We will be introducing community management of cases by accrediting primary healthcare facilities for the management of mild-to-moderate cases of #COVID19 patients.”

Sanwo-Olu also decried the low level of adherence to public health guidelines by residents following the easing of the lockdown order which had been in place in the last one month.

He said government might be compelled to reintroduce the lockdown if citizens continue to disregard the directives.

“We are at a critical point in the management of the #COVID19 pandemic in our state and every resident needs to #TakeResponsibility for their health and wellbeing,” the governor said.

“As citizens, we have a great burden upon us, to behave responsibly. These times demand a lot from us, in terms of actions and behaviours that may not be comfortable. It is difficult to adjust to the changes, but adjust, we must.

“As a government elected to uphold the security of its citizens, which includes health security, we will not hesitate to review the terms of #EasingTheLockdown if we do not see an improvement in the adherence to our public health guidelines over the next couple of days.

“Despite massive advocacy, it is disappointing to see the crowd at banks & markets across the state flouting the guidelines.

“We will be forced to take the painful decision of bringing the state under lockdown if it remains clear that Lagosians are determined to flout the rules.”

The governor further stated, “Low compliance with the guidelines by operators of commercial buses and the flouting of the directive by commercial motorcycles will not be tolerated and the security agencies have been directed to confiscate any motorcycle seen flouting the rules.

“Getting rid of #COVID19 in our state must be a collective responsibility. It is not something government can do alone. We must all do our part. 

“The wearing of a face mask in public is not a suggestion. It is a necessity and mandatory.

“We remain committed towards strengthening our capacity in combating the pandemic and I want to thank our frontline medical and emergency workers for their amazing sacrifice. 

“We will beat this. But everyone must do their part.”

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