…Says number of cases outweighing capacity of isolation
centers
The Federal Government may be considering other ‘inconvenient’
options for isolation as states across the country are fast
becoming overwhelmed by the tremendous rise in new cases of
coronavirus (COVID-19) infections.
Therefore, it is becoming increasing difficult for the
government to sustain its policy on institutional isolation of all
the cases, whether they be asymptomatic, mildly symptomatic or
severe.
Recall that few days ago, the Federal Government complained that
it is running out of spaces for treating COVID-19 patients and is
seriously considering the option of treating patients from their
homes.
Speaking during the daily briefing of the Presidential Task
Force (PTF) on COVID-19, on Friday in Abuja, the Director-General
of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe
Ihekweazu, said:
“We have a big challenge across the country right now especially
in Lagos, Kano, and Zamfara. There are a few states where the
number of new cases are outweighing the capacity to continue
implementing our policy of institutional isolation of all the
cases, whether you are asymptomatic, mildly symptomatic, or severe.
This is the current policy.
“Right now, the reality that we are facing is that the
implementation of that policy is very difficult. Yesterday, we
confirmed 158 new cases in Lagos. It means that by today if we are
to follow that policy, Lagos has to find 158 new bed spaces in a
single day. And I can tell you for free that this evening we will
have another set of new cases confirmed in Lagos.
“This is the reality and no country has found it easy across the
world to increase the hospital space capacity by 300, 400, or 500
percent, which is what is required in response to this outbreak
using the current policy.
“So, we are considering other options and over the next few days
we will share this options with you. This is not because these are
options we will like to consider but are options that we are forced
into considering. The reality is that at the moment a good number
of all our patients are not in the institutions in the isolation
centres because we are struggling with capacity across the
country.
“I really empathise with states government that are working so
hard not only to provide the facility, but also to feed, provide
security, basic infrastructure etc.
“I was in Kano last weekend and went around the new treatment
centre that everybody was rushing to get ready. But it is not
simple and there is no simple solution to this. The Federal
Government, the States Government and everybody is struggling with
how to rapidly increase capacity to provide venue to care for 300
or 400 new patients that we are confirming every day.”
He added: “Concerning Lagos State producing reagents, it is not
a competition because Lagos is part of Nigeria. If they produce
anything in Lagos, we will be happy and use it to strengthen the
national response.
“For test kits, we have plus or minus about 30,000 at the
moment. We have a supply chain that is established, so test kits
are not what you buy in the millions and keep in the warehouse
because they are subject to environmental conditions and all sorts
of issues.
“We have planned for 2 million test kits over the next 3 months
that are already in the procurement process, not only from the
Federal Government but with all our UN partners that are coming to
the table to support us.”
The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, added: “Our ideal is
still to identify all positive cases and isolate both the
symptomatic and asymptomatic, to safeguard the health of the rest
of the population as well as provide care to the symptomatic.
“This includes our efforts at intensively building the expertise
of critical care doctors and nurses, to utilize ventilators and
other appliances being allocated to intensive care hospitals,
nationwide. The sustainability of the strategy may be challenged as
time goes on by the evolving realities across the country.
“As for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), we are making sure
that every state gets according to the cases that they have or that
they project that they will have. Even when we hear that they are
running low in certain areas, we just rush things in very quickly
in order to make sure that they do not have shortages or fall into
a situation where they have to be putting themselves at risk.”
…Says number of cases outweighing capacity of isolation
centers
The Federal Government may be considering other ‘inconvenient’
options for isolation as states across the country are fast
becoming overwhelmed by the tremendous rise in new cases of
coronavirus (COVID-19) infections.
Therefore, it is becoming increasing difficult for the
government to sustain its policy on institutional isolation of all
the cases, whether they be asymptomatic, mildly symptomatic or
severe.
Recall that few days ago, the Federal Government complained that
it is running out of spaces for treating COVID-19 patients and is
seriously considering the option of treating patients from their
homes.
Speaking during the daily briefing of the Presidential Task
Force (PTF) on COVID-19, on Friday in Abuja, the Director-General
of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe
Ihekweazu, said:
“We have a big challenge across the country right now especially
in Lagos, Kano, and Zamfara. There are a few states where the
number of new cases are outweighing the capacity to continue
implementing our policy of institutional isolation of all the
cases, whether you are asymptomatic, mildly symptomatic, or severe.
This is the current policy.
“Right now, the reality that we are facing is that the
implementation of that policy is very difficult. Yesterday, we
confirmed 158 new cases in Lagos. It means that by today if we are
to follow that policy, Lagos has to find 158 new bed spaces in a
single day. And I can tell you for free that this evening we will
have another set of new cases confirmed in Lagos.
“This is the reality and no country has found it easy across the
world to increase the hospital space capacity by 300, 400, or 500
percent, which is what is required in response to this outbreak
using the current policy.
“So, we are considering other options and over the next few days
we will share this options with you. This is not because these are
options we will like to consider but are options that we are forced
into considering. The reality is that at the moment a good number
of all our patients are not in the institutions in the isolation
centres because we are struggling with capacity across the
country.
“I really empathise with states government that are working so
hard not only to provide the facility, but also to feed, provide
security, basic infrastructure etc.
“I was in Kano last weekend and went around the new treatment
centre that everybody was rushing to get ready. But it is not
simple and there is no simple solution to this. The Federal
Government, the States Government and everybody is struggling with
how to rapidly increase capacity to provide venue to care for 300
or 400 new patients that we are confirming every day.”
He added: “Concerning Lagos State producing reagents, it is not
a competition because Lagos is part of Nigeria. If they produce
anything in Lagos, we will be happy and use it to strengthen the
national response.
“For test kits, we have plus or minus about 30,000 at the
moment. We have a supply chain that is established, so test kits
are not what you buy in the millions and keep in the warehouse
because they are subject to environmental conditions and all sorts
of issues.
“We have planned for 2 million test kits over the next 3 months
that are already in the procurement process, not only from the
Federal Government but with all our UN partners that are coming to
the table to support us.”
The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, added: “Our ideal is
still to identify all positive cases and isolate both the
symptomatic and asymptomatic, to safeguard the health of the rest
of the population as well as provide care to the symptomatic.
“This includes our efforts at intensively building the expertise
of critical care doctors and nurses, to utilize ventilators and
other appliances being allocated to intensive care hospitals,
nationwide. The sustainability of the strategy may be challenged as
time goes on by the evolving realities across the country.
“As for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), we are making sure
that every state gets according to the cases that they have or that
they project that they will have. Even when we hear that they are
running low in certain areas, we just rush things in very quickly
in order to make sure that they do not have shortages or fall into
a situation where they have to be putting themselves at risk.”