The management of Lafia Hospital, Apata, Ibadan, said it will only be reopened after all protocols of the Nigeria Centre For Disease Control (NCDC) are complied with.
Last week, a 55-year old patient with hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus had first presented himself at Lafia hospital, 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.
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.
According to Chief Consultant in charge of the hospital, Dr Adetunji Taiwo, said they have mandated all members of staff to proceed on14 days self-isolation and to submit themselves for COVID-19 test.
“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,” Nigerian Tribune quoted him as saying.
