The fear of lack of bed spaces for coronavirus patients at Isolation Centres in the country, has gripped the government.
There are 3,500 bed spaces at the various Isolation and Treatment Centres in the country. These will become inadequate, given the anticipated spike in positive cases of the virus, as a result of the planned testing of two million people.
Lagos, which is the epicentre of the pandemic in the country, with close to 1,000 cases as at Thursday, out of which 718 are active, and 192 discharged, is the worst hit.
It has about 540 bed spaces, at the 5 official Isolation Centres, excluding the spaces at private facilities, including the one at Badagry.
The government is now seeking the possibility of home treatment, as a result.
Besides, owners of uncompleted buildings or empty properties, are urged to donate them to the government for use.
Speaking at the Presidential Task Force, PTF, Media briefing in Abuja, on Thursday, the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, said: “It is true that we are getting a surge. If you hear the announcement made by the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, it is that they want to do two million tests. That will bring up a lot of cases. We know that. That is the purpose, to bring up the cases and take care of them before they infect more people.
“I am appealing, not only to State Governments, but to citizens, to make properties available temporarily, for this purposes. I am sure that there are many property owners who will come up and look at their empty properties, and donate them for a period of time to the State Governments, to be able to use these facilities for this function. That is the reason why I made that appeal.
”We are going to look for bed spaces. We are not right now. We are not out of space (yet), but we are making that appeal ahead of time, so that we have these facilities, and these spaces ready. As the President said, we want to be ready, but we hope we do not need them. We hope and pray we do not need these facilities, but we need them to be present, to be there.”
The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, added: “Concerning the availability of bed spaces for the management of patients, there is no doubt that we are struggling in certain places, especially in Lagos State, and to an extent Kano and Abuja. But the biggest challenge right now is in Lagos, where bed spaces are really tight.
“Across the country, we have about 3,500 bed spaces identified as available for coronavirus, but in Lagos, we are already struggling. So, we are going to work with them, to keep trying to make more spaces available.”
Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, is rehabilitating Gwarinpa, Gudu, and Kaura Cemeteries, to accommodate more bodies.
The rehabilitation of the graveyards is to avert the experiences in some countries, where bodies litter the streets, due to lack of burial spaces, caused by Covid-19 deaths.
Richard Nduul, the Media Aide to the Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, dropped the hint on Thursday, in Abuja.
He spoke on the heels of complaints by residents of Lokogoma Estates, that the citing of a cemetery at Kaura District, in Phase II of the Federal Capital City, FCC, will pose a long-term health danger to them.
According him, the FCTA is being proactive, to prevent Covid-19 crisis.
Nduul said: “The present pandemic and the need to prevent the unhealthy experience in some countries where bodies were left to litter in the streets for days, due to lack of burial spaces, is responsible for the FCT Administration’s pro-active decision to rehabilitate the two (2) existing Cemeteries, in Gudu and Gwarinpa, in addition to the immediate development of anyone of the designated sectoral Cemeteries.
“The Kaura Cemetery plot became a candidate for development at this time, simply because of its proximity to the availability of infrastructure, as determined by the right of the dead to a safe and dignified burial.
“Presently, there are 3 Cemeteries in operation in the FCC. These are the National Military Cemetery, at Kukwaba, as well as the Gudu and Gwarinpa Cemeteries. While the National Military Cemetery is reserved for the Military, Gudu and Gwarinpa are the only ones available for public use.
“The Gwarinpa Cemetery is further constricted by a stream, making it virtually impossible to bury bodies there now. As a result of this, the Gudu Cemetery is overstretched, hence the need to identify and develop other Cemeteries in the City.”
Nduul said that the Kaura District Cemetery poses no threat to residents, adding that: “This clarification has become imperative, in view of the recent protests by residents of some Estates, including Suncity and Golden Spring, which are situated in the area over the proposed citing of the Cemetery, and the clamour that it should be relocated to an area with less human beings.”
He said: “The Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, notes the complaints by the Lokogoma Estates Residents, that the citing of a Cemetery at Kaura District, in Phase II of the Federal Capital City, FCC, constitutes a long-term health danger to persons residing within the residential Estates, and therefore the call that the FCT Administration considers relocating the Cemetery to another area or location. The FCDA views this controversy as unnecessary and uncalled for, as the claim is both baseless and misinformed.
“Standing on the solid ground of being the custodian of the Abuja Master Plan, the FCDA more than anyone else, remains the most competent and appropriate authority to interpret and implement its provisions on the various aspects of the city’s development.”
