COVID-19: Lagos commissions 118-bed isolation centre

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Friday commissioned a 118-bed isolation and treatment centre within the Gbagada General Hospital.

The isolation facility adds to the number of treatment facilities the state has, increasing the capacity for managing COVID-19 in the state.

While inaugurating the new facility, Mr Sanwo-Olu said it would be manned by highly skilled volunteer health workers, trained in infection prevention and control as well as COVID-19 case management.

This brings the total number of isolation and treatment centres to five in Lagos, while the state has a bed-capacity of 558.

The state government had previously commissioned a 110-bed isolation and treatment facility at Onikan, while another 70-bed facility was inaugurated at the Landmark Exhibition Centre, Eti-Osa local government.

Lagos also has a 100-bed Isolation and Treatment Centre at the Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba and another 60-bed capacity at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

As of Friday, Lagos has 755 active cases of coronavirus. Apart from these, 199 patients have recovered and have been discharged, while 20 have died from COVID-19 infection in the state.

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The state government has earlier disclosed partnership with the private sector in the treatment of COVID-19 cases, and approved the First Cardiology Consultants Hospital, Ikoyi as a private hospital managing COVID-19 cases

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Health in the state, Akin Abayomi, said at a press conference in April that plans to have more bed-capacity are in view.

Mr Abayomi said the state will set up a 150-bed capacity Isolation and Treatment Centre at the Infectious Disease Hospital and another 300-capacity permanent facility within the same premises, making a total of 450-bed capacity in view.

These facilities, he said, would be ready in the coming months.

Lagos has the highest confirmed cases in Nigeria, with 976 cases out of the 1932 cases nationwide.

On Thursday, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) lamented the inadequate bed spaces across Nigeria, especially in Lagos, for treating COVID-19 patients. The NCDC said only about 3,500 bed spaces are available across Nigeria for COVID-19 patients while the number of patients was on the rise.