The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, on Monday said private hospitals were not allowed to treat COVID-19.
Abayomi was speaking in Alausa, Ikeja, in reaction to a COVID-19 patient who died at a private hospital in Lagos.
He said, “The death that occurred in the private hospital is not something that is unusual; private hospitals are still managing lots of patients with pneumonia, and COVID-19 is just one cause of pneumonia. There are several other possible causes of pneumonia.
“So, when a patient is admitted into a private hospital with respiratory tract infections, most of the times it is not COVID-19; we have to test and in the process of testing, if it is COVID-19, we will then try and move the patient to the recognised and accredited isolation facility.
“We are not encouraging the private sector to manage COVID-19 at this point for a number of reasons. It is still an issue of the state and national security that cases of COVID-19 are managed in recognised facilities.
“However, patients with pneumonia can be treated in a private hospital, but as soon as we know they are positive for CONVID-19, we will endeavour to move them as fast as possible to an isolation facility.
That is not always so easy, especially if the case is developing complications and they required ventilation.”
