Sequel to the closure of Lafia Hospital, Apata, Ibadan as a result of the death of a 55-year old patient from COVID-19, the management has said the hospital will only be reopened after all protocols of the Nigeria Centre For Disease Control (NCDC) are complied with.
These protocols, according to Chief Consultant in charge of the hospital, Dr Adetunji Taiwo, include mandating all members of staff to proceed on mandatory 14 days self-isolation and to submit themselves for COVID-19 test.
First to go for test at the Adamasingba testing centre, Ibadan, last Thursday and Friday, were 11 primary contacts of the late patient including a doctor, medical laboratory scientist, x-ray technician and nurses.
Taiwo added that other members of staff totalling over 35, as well as members of a health management organisation that also occupies the Lafia hospital building, were mandated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to submit themselves for COVID-19 test.
As part of protocols, Taiwo disclosed that the NCDC, on Saturday, carried out a fumigation and decontamination of the hospital, with emphasis on places the late patient touched like consulting room, laboratory. x-ray room.
Lafia hospital was one of the four hospitals in Oyo State visited by the late COVID-19 patient before he was referred to the University College Hospital (UCH) where he died.
The 55-year old known patient with hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus had first presented himself at Lafia hospital, last Monday, for typhoid and malaria fever without improvement and returned the following day with difficulty in breathing and cough, before a chest x-ray pointed to COVID-19 possibility.
“Reopening of the hospital depends on when we get the result. Even if everybody is negative, we will not reopen the hospital immediately. We will give everybody 14 days to rest at home because that is time for quarantine for anybody who tests positive for coronavirus.
“Everybody is on isolation in their different homes. I am on isolation. My wife is in another room. We are not actually contacting except when we talk and we keep distance of about six metres apart.
“I went yesterday and did my own test. They said the result will be out after 48 hours. Yesterday, somebody called me from NCDC and asked for my code, I told them and they said the result should come on Sunday but because it is weekend, I will get the result on Monday. I asked my colleagues if any has got the result but they said they awaited the result.
“It was the management that decided to close the hospital to safeguard the interest of staff and patients of the hospital, until we get the results. We don’t want other direct contacts and they said everybody should go for 14 days quarantine.
“NCDC came on Saturday to fumigate and decontaminate the hospital. The result should be out on Monday. Aside from HMO, the total number of people working in the hospital is between 35 and 40,” Taiwo said.
Meanwhile, three more persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Oyo state, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the state to 21.
Head of the Oyo COVID-19 task force, Governor Seyi Makinde disclosed this while giving a case update in the state.
The update shows that out of the 21 confirmed cases, nine cases are active, one transferred, 10 persons have recovered while one death has been recorded.
As of Saturday night, a total of 610 samples have been collected which 453 of these samples collected at the state’s drive-through/walk-through testing centre at Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan.
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