Fred Ezeh, Abuja
There was panic in Abuja on Saturday over the three novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases that were confirmed at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), Gwagwalada, Abuja.
About 10 patients were said to have shown symptoms of COVID-19 infection at the hospital. As expected, health workers invited the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to carry out further tests, which returned positive.
The patients were hurriedly moved to a make-shift isolation unit within UATH pending the completion of work at the main isolation centre.
Patients at UATH where the three cases were recorded hurriedly requested to be discharged, while some doctors and other health workers, out of fear, asked for excuse duty to avoid being asked to attend to the patients.
Our correspondent who visited UATH alongside officials of the Association of Resident Doctors, FCT chapter, and President, Commonwealth Medical Association (CMA), Dr Osahon Enabulele, observed that renovation work was still ongoing at the provisional isolation centre, while the construction work at the permanent isolation centre was nearing completion.
Efforts by UATH to conceal and prevent the information from spreading beyond the first few ears that heard the news to avoid panic failed as virtually all the staff and patients were seen making serious adjustments to avoid infection with the virus.
Some patients and workers were in clusters discussing the development. Security officials at the entrance gate also intensified campaign for hygiene, with hand sanitizers strategically located in the hospital.
The panic mood increased a few hours into the day when the Federal Ministry of Health released a statement that confirmed 10 new cases of the novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria. It said that three new cases were confirmed in Abuja while seven new cases were confirmed in Lagos State, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Nigeria to 22.
Related: TEN new COVID-19 cases in Nigeria – NCDC
The Ministry of Health also confirmed that the 10 new cases are Nigerian nationals and nine of them have travel history to the Canada, France, Netherlands, Spain and United Kingdom, while the 10th case was a close contact of a previously confirmed case.
It confirmed that the three cases in Abuja are being treated at UATH in Gwagwalada, while the seven new cases in Lagos are being treated at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) in Yaba.
The Ministry further confirmed that the two earlier cases have been discharged and there has been no death from COVID-19 in Nigeria. It maintained that it was committed to working with states to provide optimal care for all confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country.
It said that contact tracing is ongoing to identify all persons who had contact with the new confirmed cases, even as Port Health Services of the Federal Ministry of Health has heightened screening at all entry points into Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the CMA President, Dr Osahon Enabulele, who visited isolation centres in National Hospital and UATH appreciated the efforts put in place by the health authorities to respond to the outbreak.
He, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the level of preparedness against the spread of novel Coronavirus, particularly with regards to logistics and manpower that would respond to suspected and confirmed cases.
He suggested the unbundling of NCDC in order to enhance efficiency and prompt response to calls from hospitals and patients.