Nigeria’s hope of winning the battle against the COVID-19 has received a major boost as the Catholic Bishop Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, offered all its 425 health facilities across the country as isolation centres for COVID-19 patients.
Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, made this known at the daily Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing on Monday.
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The Federal Government had earlier raised concern over the unavailability of bed spaces to accommodate all COVID-19 patients in the country.
Nigeria, as of Monday night, had recorded 641 cases of coronavirus. These include 902 people who have recovered and have been discharged as well as 150 deaths.
Earlier, the Federal Government stated that it was considering the option of home-care treatment as some states are running out of bed spaces, following the increasing number of cases.
The SGF, however, said that state governments can now take advantage of the donated facilities to treat patients.
As part of efforts to support the states in the establishment of the isolation and treatment centres, I wish to remind our governors that the Catholic Bishops Conference has volunteered all the 425 hospitals and clinics nationwide for adaptation and use as isolation centres.
Governors are encouraged to please approach Catholic Bishops in their states to access these facilities.
Mr Mustapha, who is also the chairman of the task force, further disclosed that the Thisday Dome treatment and isolation facility in Abuja would be inaugurated on Tuesday.
Tomorrow, we hope to commission the Thisday Dome treatment and isolation facility. It will add a total of 270 beds to our isolation capacity in Abuja.
This is a private sector-driven initiative and we commend the efforts of this Thisday, NNPC, Sahara Energy Group, CCECC and all the partners involved in this enterprise.
The figure of COVID-19 cases has soared since the Federal Government eased the lockdown in some parts of the country. This owes to the violation of measures put in place by the Federal Government.