PICTURE ABOVE: L-R: Dr. Tope Oguniyan; Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi during the opening of Isolation Centre for the Coronavirus treatment at the Gbagada General Hospital, on Friday, May 1, 2020. CREDIT: NAN
The Lagos State Government on Friday unveiled a 118-bed Isolation and Treatment Centre, located within the premises of Gbagada General Hospital, for the management of COVID-19 cases.
A statement made available to newsmen said that the three-floor Isolation and Treatment facility has dedicated intensive care isolation unit, ventilators, monitors, respirators, mobile x-ray, ultrasound, oxygen, amongst other ultra-modern medical equipment.
Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu said at the unveiling that the centre was an existing facility within the Gbagada General Hospital complex which had not been in use.
Sanwo-Olu said that it was converted to the 118-bed bio-security complaint Isolation and treatment facility after an extensive renovation and upgrade was carried out.
He said that the facility was revamped and converted to an Isolation and Treatment Centre in order to provide additional capacity to already existing isolation centres in the state.
”We have had to do extensive builders work and renovation of this health facility and make it conform to a biosecurity isolation facility.
“We are indeed happy and excited at the level of work done by the contractor and the supervising ministry.
”This facility, as you know, used to be the Cardiac and Renal Centre, but has not been used for some time now, so what we have been doing in the last two and a half month is to upscale the facility, finish up with the builders’ work and revamp the entire place to conform with an Isolation Centre,” the governor said.
He said that the facility, which was now designated for management of COVID-19 cases, had been demarcated into Green, Yellow and Red Zones, in line with Infection Prevention and Control management.
According to him, the Green Zone will be for the health workers before they enter into the premises, Yellow Zone is holding Bay for suspected COVID-19 cases who are on observation, while the Red Zone is for the management of confirmed COVID-19 cases.
”The facility has an Independent Power Supply and back up Power Generator for uninterrupted power supply. This facility, I must say is first class and of international standard and has all the trappings of clinical care unit,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu commended the frontline health workers and other allied professionals who were in the forefront of the COVID-19 battle and likened them to unsung heroes of the 2020 May Day celebration.
”Today being May Day, we have had a celebration and our frontline health workers have been celebrated as the real heroes of 2020 May Day Celebration.
”Everybody that is a health worker and frontline worker in public and private sectors are the ones we are celebrating today.
”All of the doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory technicians, health attendants, psychosocial care givers, street sweepers, fire fighters, emergency responders are the real celebrants for this May Day celebration.
”I think it is important that we celebrate them and mention that their sacrifices and labour are recognised,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu said that two other isolation facilities dedicated solely for frontline health workers who may come in contact with COVID-19 had been completed and expected to go live today.
The governor said that the state would continue to ramp up its bed capacity and increase its isolation bed spaces in both known and undisclosed Isolation facilities.
He said that the state would always be ready to admit confirmed COVID-19 cases and discharge them after successful management.
”Today as well, I encouraged and spoke with our health workers at various isolation centres undergoing treatment.
”They are all in very high spirits and I know as from tomorrow some of them would be discharged to reunite with their families,” Sanwo-Olu said. (NAN)
