COVID-19: Nine medical staff quarantined in Anambra
The Management of the St. Joseph hospital, Adazi-Nnukwu, Anambra state has said that nine medical staff of the hospital have been quarantined following their contact with the index case while on admission in the hospital.
The hospital said the staff were quarantined after a meeting with a joint team of National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and Anambra state Ministry of Health.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Administrator, Jerome Okafor, and made available to the Nation, the hospital said the sample taken from the patient admitted to the unit tested COVID-19 positive.
It further revealed that the room occupied by the patient had been decontaminated, while the entire centre had been fumigated.
The statement read, “It is pleasure of the administration of St. Joseph hospital to put on record that a joint team of National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and Anambra state Ministry of Health were at Dr. Joe Nwilo heart centre of on Saturday, April 11, 2020.
“They verbally communicated to us that the sample they have taken from a patient who had been admitted to the unit tested COVID-19 positive.
“A representation of the hospital, including some staff of the centre, had a cordial discussion with the team over the events of the past few hours.
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“After briefing and discussion that followed, the team proceeded to decontaminate the room which the patient had occupied and to fumigate the entire center. They also quarantined nine medical staff that had contact with the patient during the time of his admission.
“The NCDC officers have been faithful in their daily visit to check on them. During the discussion, the team conceded that the staff of the centre had been professional in the handling of the index case. They explained that the procedural error in putting out the results to the media was likely committed by the NCDC Abuja.
“They suggested that even the state governor had not gotten the result when the news hit the media. The offices responsible for communicating the bad news started on damage control. The visiting team promised to make changes in their procedures to prevent a reoccurrence. They also assured the hospital team that the delay they experienced in response to their invitation shall also be addressed.
“The hospital Administration requested that the reality of COVID-19 is now glaring and since its hospital staff by the nature of thier work are on the front line of the battle to contain the virus spread, also considering that with tune-down in the operations of some public hospitals which are bound by charity to attend to all manner of patients, regardless of their economic and social status, its staff be considered in provision of some personal protective equipment, and some parliative measures too.
“The team promised to do so as soon as their office gets a consignment of supplies.”
