Moses Ofodeme
Lagos State with highest number of COVID-19 cases is now short of bed spaces which is further going to compound efforts in curtailing spread of the virus.
The Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, confirmed that bed spaces for patients of Coronavirus Disease are no longer readily available in the State.
Ihekweazu said this on Thursday when he spoke at the daily briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja.
He said although there are about 3,500 bed spaces available across the country, they were insufficient, leaving the NCDC struggling.
He said: “In response to the question about bed spaces: there is not 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 bed spaces are really tight.
“Across the country, we have about 3,500 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 ultimately.”
Ihekweazu said the NCDC may resort to treating patients from home if the challenge persists.
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.”