DG NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekeazu
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has raised concerns about inadequate bed spaces to accommodate COVID-19 patients in isolation centres in Lagos.
The Director general of the NCDC, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu expressed his concerns while responding to questions from journalists at the Presidential Task Force briefing on COVID-19.
According to him, although there are about 3,500 bed spaces available across the country, this is insufficient and it leaves the infectious disease control agency to struggle.
“In response to the question about bed spaces. There is no doubt about that, we are struggling in certain places especially in Lagos. To an extent Kano and Abuja too but the biggest challenge right now is in Lagos where bad spaces are really tight.
“Across the country we have about 3500 bed spaces identified as available for COVID-19 but in Lagos we are really struggling. So, we are going to keep trying to work with them to make more spaces available and ultimately,” he said.
“We might have to change our strategy a little bit and start considering home care in certain circumstances where the person is able to provide a room where a patient can be managed sufficiently and secondly, we are able to support the care by enabling healthcare workers come to that.
“We will always be honest with Nigerians, we are struggling at the moment we might have to adapt that strategy because of the reality we have faced over the next few days and weeks,” Ihekweazu said.
The NCDC boss however added that due to this challenge, there might be need for a change of strategy and start treating some patients at home.
