Osagie Ehanire,
minister of health, has urged all states to have isolation centres for
treatment of coronavirus.
The minister, who
spoke at a briefing by the presidential task force on coronavirus in Abuja on
Monday, said he has been communicating with governors over the matter.
While admitting that
there are some isolation centres for other contagious diseases across these
states, Ehanire said hotels which have self-contained rooms could serve better
in isolating COVID-19 cases.
“As for isolation
centres, we have been speaking with state governors, I was privileged to join
in a teleconference with governors yesterday. And we discussed the issue of
ceding out coronavirus from the main hubs to the states and also the isolation
centres,” he said
“I urge every state
to have an isolation centre. Many of them have isolation centres for other
diseases for TB and some, but this particular pathogen, they are trying to use
every means to get isolation centres. Even if it is a hotel, you can rent a
hotel that has single rooms, self-contained rooms where each person can stay in
their room and have the little comfort they are used to at home; you have your
entertainment and you can last the 14 days observation that is required.
“Mild up to moderate
cases can even be treated in those areas, but we have also said every treatment
and isolation centre whether at the federal or state level must be accredited
as be fit to handle treatment of the disease that can be so terribly infectious
because there is high risk not only to other people around there but even to
staff who are doing the treatment.
“As you know, in
Europe, many people who are helping to treat coronavirus have themselves become
infected. So, we must know that you have people there who have been taught the
protocol for treating coronavirus and have learnt and are well supervised, and
the facility properly inspected by a team.”
The minister said a
team headed by Akin Abayomi, Lagos commissioner of health, accredits every
centre that wants to handle coronavirus.
The minister also
added that patients who test negative twice would be discharged.
“We discharge
patients when they look well and tested negative twice and it’s proven you
don’t have the virus in your system and it usually takes three to four weeks or
a bit longer. If you test negative, and after 24 or 48 hours you test negative
again, then you are good to go. So anybody who meets this criteria would be
declared free to go home,” he said.
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