As LUTH assembles 120 staff to combat COVID-19

Says 12 staff under surveillance, 3 on isolation over death of patient

By Chioma Obinna

The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 yesterday inspected the Lagos University Teaching Hospital’s (LUTH) isolation centre in readiness to the admission of positive persons at the facility even as the hospital has mobilised 120 staff against the virus.

Speaking to journalists shortly after the tour of the Centre, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof Chris Bode explained that the visit of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 pandemic to LUTH was to see their readiness to admit patients with the condition.

Bode said the visit was a source of encouragement to the hospital management as the largest hospital in Lagos.

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“We cannot afford to fold our arms, it is better for us to rise up to the challenges. With the help of honourable minister of health and Lagos state commissioner for health and Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, we have been able to put together newly furnished block of four wards each one contains 30 beds and we have 60 beds all together now, we have enough personal protective equipment and a lot of what we need to start admission of COVID-19 positive patients in Lagos.

Stating that their activities would be under the command of the Lagos State government, he said already they have a squad of 120 staff volunteers to combat the virus.They consist of about 30 doctors, 30 nurses among others.

They are all willing to come together; they have been training since February.

“We have also make provision for the staff that will work here. Those attending to the patients will not go back home to their loved once even after their respective shift.

Also, speaking, the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, CMAC, Prof, Wasiu Adeyemo who explained that none of the staff of the hospital was unduly exposed to the COVID-19 patient who died at LUTH.

According to him, 12 of the hospital staff comprising nurses, doctors and security men are now under watch while three are under isolation.

“We have about 12 of our staff, doctors, nurses, nursing assistants, security men and all of them are under surveillance. This is the fourth day they are doing well. There are some who were much closed but we just have to monitor them. It is only about three of them that are under isolation and they are doing well. One or two of them are actually here. We don’t expect any of them to test positive.

”We don’t need to be unnecessarily worried because our staff are observing high index of suspicion. They were mask and gloves and if there are reasons to suspect COVID-19, they will call in the infectious disease experts in the hospital.”

Vanguard