The management of Nigeria’s first tertiary health institution, the University College Hospital has publicly solicited for support from well meaning Nigerians to upgrade its isolation unit.
In a memo dated March 26, 2020, signed by the institution’s Chief Medical Director, Professor Abiodun Otegbayo, UCH solicited for support to scale up its four-bedded isolation unit to 18 beds ostensibly to be ready to help COVID-19’s casualties.
According to Otegbayo in the memo titled ‘To Whom it may concern’, “all requests are in multiple numbers in order to ensure that cross infection is limited as much as possible.”
Items needed by UCH, according to the memo include pipeline oxygen with at least 20 patient points with humidifier, respiratory ventilators, personal protective equipment (apparels), suction machines and nebulizers.
Others include bacterial and viral filters, medical consumables, mobile x-ray machines and pulse oximeters.
Otegbayo, who said that the hospital is also in need of modern nurses/doctors’ bay equally added that “we are expectant that in the spirit of social responsibility, well meaning groups, associations and others will support the initiative as deemed fit.”
Meanwhile, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed 16 new cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria.
Federal Capital Territory and Oyo State recorded three and two new cases respectively earlier on Friday.
Eight new cases were confirmed in Lagos, two in Enugu state and one in Edo state
With these developments, governments at all levels have intensified efforts to sensitize citizens on the need to stay at home to prevent the virus from spreading.
In Oyo State, the governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde has ordered a partial curfew. He has also asked markets to shut down except those selling perishable eatables.
In Lagos, the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration which converted the Onikan Stadium into an ‘Isolation Centre’ has mobilized to feed over 200,000 households.
Packaged by Olayinka Agboola
