Private hospitals not allowed to treat coronavirus – Abayomi

By DAYO OJERINDE

The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, on Monday said private hospitals were not allowed to treat COVID-19.

Abayomi was speaking in Alausa, Ikeja, in reaction to a COVID-19 patient who died at a private hospital in Lagos.

He said, “The death that occurred in the private hospital is not something that is unusual; private hospitals are still managing lots of patients with pneumonia, and COVID-19 is just one cause of pneumonia. There are several other possible causes of pneumonia.

“So, when a patient is admitted into a private hospital with respiratory tract infections, most of the times it is not COVID-19; we have to test and in the process of testing, if it is COVID-19, we will then try and move the patient to the recognised and accredited isolation facility.

“We are not encouraging the private sector to manage COVID-19 at this point for a number of reasons. It is still an issue of the state and national security that cases of COVID-19 are managed in recognised facilities.

“However, patients with pneumonia can be treated in a private hospital, but as soon as we know they are positive for CONVID-19, we will endeavour to move them as fast as possible to an isolation facility. That is not always so easy, especially if the case is developing complications and they required ventilation.” (The Punch)