Covid-19: Coalition donates isolation centre, medical equipment to Bayelsa

Odahiekwu Ogunde

Coalition Against Covid-19 has donated 48-bed isolation centre, medical equipment, medical consumables and Personal Protective Equipment to the Bayelsa State Government.

The donation of the centre, according to the anti-Covid-19 group, was to boost the total capacity at the state-owned Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, Okolobiri, to over 100. 

It also donated a total of 100 beds to the NDUTH, noting that the donated facility was to complement another 70-bed facility donated by Chevron and a 20-bed isolation ward at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, as well as an existing 60-bed capacity isolation centre built by the Bayelsa Government.

The Co-Chairman of the Bayelsa Task Force on COVID-19,  Dr Nathaniel Akpoku, praised the coalition for their thoughtful intervention to strengthen the capacity of the public health system in Bayelsa State.

He noted that the centre would improve care provided to patients infected with coronavirus and assured them that the medical personnel managing Covid-19 cases in the state would put the facilities to good use.

He said that Governor Douye Diri, who chairs the COVID-19 Task Force in the state, as well as the COVID-19 patients, appreciated the support from the coalition at a time when the virus was ravaging the world.

In his remarks, Chief Medical Director, NDUTH, Prof Dimie Ogoin, noted that the hospital management was encouraged by the additional capacity, saying it would position the hospital better to manage more cases.

Also speaking, the Chairman of Medical Advisory Committee of the NDUTH,  Dr Johnbull Jumbo, noted that the intervention was timely and a welcome relief as the existing facilities were getting overstretched.

He explained that the new facility, which is an annex to the main isolation centre, was already put to use as eight patients were already receiving care.

He added that there were many suspected cases awaiting test results by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control.

On his part,  a reprensatative of CA-COVID, Mr Flint Kakiri, applauded the efforts of the Bayelsa State Government in the fight against COVID-19.

Kakiri said the Douye Diri administration granted approvals promptly to facilitate the collaboration with the CA-COVID to increase isolation capacity at the NDUTH to over 100.

He also said CA-COVID provided hospital beds and beddings, medical equipment, medical consumables and Personal Protective Equipment for health workers in the intervention.

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