Covid-19: Oyo State warns private healthcare facilities on treatment

The Oyo State Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) has warned owners of private health facilities in the State against managing COVID-19 cases in their facilities, as this has been linked with the rising cases of the infection in the State.

The EOC and the State’s COVID-19 Technical Task Force who gave this warning  noted that there are 30 approved testing centers in the State, and those suspected to have symptoms of the Coronavirus infection should be referred to the centers for testing as testing for symptomatic or suspected cases is free.

A statement by Taiwo Adisa, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, indicated that the Chairman of the State’s COVID-19 Technical Task Force, Professor Temitope Alonge, gave the warning in a memo addressed to Chief Executive Officers, Chief Operating Officers and Managers of private health facilities in the State.

Alonge, appealed to the health workers to comply strictly with the advisory, reiterating that the Oyo State Government could not afford any depletion in the healthcare workforce due to ill health arising from Coronavirus infection.

“The spread of the new wave of the Coronavirus infection in Oyo State is increasing and the reports reaching the Emergency Operations Centre and the Technical Task Force is that some of the people infected had been managed for various ailments in some private health facilities.

In some cases, the private health facilities fail to notify the EOC about suspected cases that would have had their samples taken by the EOC at the invitation of the private health facilities. Sampling of such cases by the EOC has been the established protocol and it is still in place.”

Alonge stated that the repeated breach of  protocol is worrisome, reminding all health care providers that no one is immune to the infection and admitting suspected cases in private health facilities is unacceptable, as no private health facility in Oyo State has been licensed to manage COVID-19 patients.

He asserted that strict adherence to the laid down infection prevention and control measures would be enforced by the EOC at any private health facility, adding  that there are reports of an increase in the number of healthcare workers, at various healthcare facilities, who have contracted Coronavirus infection.

The Task Force indicated that managements of all public and private healthcare facilities in the State should be aware that there are thirty (30) testing centres dotted all over Oyo State, including five testing centres in Ibadan, namely: Alakia PHC (Lagelu LGA); Health is Wealth (Ibadan North LGA); General Hospital, Apata (Ibadan South West LGA); Ologuneru PHC (Ido LGA); and the University College Hospital, Ibadan.

“I wish to appeal to all for strict compliance with this advisory and to reiterate that the Oyo State Government can not afford any depletion in the healthcare workforce due to ill health arising from coronavirus infection. If you see something, say something, and if you know something, please speak up.”