Lagos hospital shuts down as patient, two workers test positive to coronavirus

By TIMILEYIN OMILANA

A private hospital in Lagos, Vedic Lifecare Hospital, has temporarily shut down its operations after two of its staff and an in-patient tested positive for coronavirus.

“Approximately 10 days ago, we had an in-patient who later tested positive for COVID 19 after discharge,” the hospital, located in Lekki, said in a statement on Monday.

“As per protocols set by NCDC we have tested our staff who have come in contact with the COVID positive patient and unfortunately, we have had 2 staff members who tested positive yesterday.”

The hospital management said, “the facility is currently closed off for decontamination of the building and the fumigation activities.”

A few private hospitals have recently shut down their operation after being exposed to coronavirus. A private hospital Premier Specialists’ Medical Centre also shut down for same the reason on Friday.

The hospital has branches in Lekki and Victoria Island.

Another hospital, St. Edwards Hospital, in Ajah, also in Lagos, unknowingly attended to COVID-19 patients.

A source told The Guardian that the patient was admitted to the hospital on April 11, 2020, with a cardiac symptom. The patient was said to have withheld information about previous contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case.

The hospital, according to the source, was in the dark until the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control called on April 12, 2020, with details of the patient.

NCDC officials informed the hospital on Tuesday that the patient’s test came back positive and that the patient will be evacuated the same day.

Although the hospital was allegedly told work can resume after it was decontaminated on April 15, it was, however, was still closed on Friday. (The Guardian)