Nigerians Shun FCT COVID-19 Treatment Centres

The Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, is one of the cities most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. As the surge of the pandemic decreased, Nigerians began to shun Covid-19 isolation centers.

It was learnt that the National Hospital has discharged its last patient while the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), Gwagwalada, which attended to most severe cases, had about four patients. This is against the average of 30 severe patients it used to have. The Punch reported.

The UATH Chief Medical Director, Prof. Bishop Ekele, confirmed that indeed, the rate of admission had dropped significantly and that only four patients were left in the isolation ward, adding that they might soon be discharged.

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Ekele said, “We thank God that things (cases) are beginning to drop. The doctors’ strike has no effect on our facility. Usually, it is those that need oxygen that are brought to us. We have just about four patients and hopefully they might soon be discharged.”

On his part, the spokesperson of the National Hospital, Dr. Tayo Haastrup, said the last patient in the hospital had been discharged last week.

“We have no more (Coronavirus) patients in our isolation centre,” Haastrup said on Friday.

“However, we will not be closing it down because that is what we use for epidemics like Lassa fever. We still have the six rooms for such purposes,” he added.

The Chairman of the Medical Sub-Committee of the COVID-19 ministerial Expert Advisory Committee in Abuja, Dr. Ejike Oji, said the drop in the infection rate was a positive development but maintained that this was not the time for complacency.

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Oji recalled that last year, there was a drop in the infection rate which caused Nigerians to throw caution to the wind. He added that this attitude was what led to the second wave. Thus, he warned that the fight against COVID-19 must be sustained.

“It is true that severe infections have dropped but this is not the time for complacency. If you recall when we witnessed a drop late last year, people threw caution to the wind. What we have learnt about COVID-19 is that the virus mutates. We saw how the second wave came. There could be a third wave if we are not careful.”