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UCH Front-line Workers Raise Alarm Over increase in COVID-19 Cases


As Nigeria experiences surge in Covid-19 cases, front-line workers at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan are fighting the good fight and and as such having their own fair share of the turbulent increase in the number of infected persons.

It has been discovered that some UCH doctors, nurses and health workers are either managing the virus or going on isolation.

This increased infection rate is closely associated with recurrent exposure to patients who are either carrier or persons showing symptoms of the virus in recent days.

Nurses at the hospital claimed that many patients hide their health status thereby increasing the risk of contracting the virus by people in the hospital.

Speaking with newsmen, a staff of UCH warned against non-adherence to COVID-19 protocols, noting that the current COVID-19 strain reported around the world is more deadly and has a short incubation period.

She said: “Aside from people not reporting to the hospital early if they notice any COVID-19 symptoms, non-adherence to protocols of wearing facemasks, avoiding gatherings, maintaining distance and regular washing of hands are risk factors people do not take into consideration.”

The Public Relations Officer, UCH, Toye Akinrinlola while having a chat with journalist noted that the increasing rate of COVID-19 Infected people is not peculiar to the UCH but global. He added that doctors, nurses, health workers of UCH, took precautions and are asked to go on isolation when confirmed positive for COVID-19.

Though he did not give a number of doctors and other health workers that are currently dealing with the virus, Akinrinlola said the hospital only had six in-patients that are confirmed COVID-19 positive.

“The rate is getting higher everywhere in the country. We have six in-patients that are confirmed and we have two centres for confirmed patients and another ward dedicated for suspected cases.

“If any medical practitioner, a health worker is confirmed positive, they go on isolation. You may be asymptomatic and still be positive. If you don’t exhibit any of the symptoms, you still can take care of yourself in isolation and not necessarily be held in the ward.

To arrest the rising increase in infection rate, he said the hospital had begun enforcing the safety protocol by ensuring the use of facemasks by everyone visiting and maintaining a safe distance amongst people inside of the hospital. This is as he added that the hospital decontaminates its environment twice a week.

“The spread is not UCH; it is global but we are taking measures. We have started enforcing wearing facemasks. If you are a visitor to the hospital and you are not wearing a facemask, we will drive you back.

“We check our clinics and if you don’t have any business being in our hospitals, we drive you back. If you are with a patient and not taking precautionary measures, as stipulated by NCDC, we drive you out of the hospital.

“We want to ensure that people who don’t have direct business with the hospital don’t come in; and when you are here, you must comply with the COVID-19 precautionary measures.
“Since the COVID-19 started, we decontaminate our environment at least twice a week. We have a mechanized fumigator that goes around. We do that very regularly.”

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IFRAME SYNC

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