The management of St. Edwards Hospital in the Ajah area of Lagos State has asked anyone who visited it in the past few days to self-isolate.
The reason is that it said it discovered that a patient it treated there for about three days has coronavirus, whereas the patient had presented another condition to the doctors.
According to the hospital, the patient never provided information about previous contact with a COVID-19 case, but was admitted at the hospital on April 11 with cardiac symptoms. He however underwent a coronavirus test and turned out positive, after the hospital received a call from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on April 12.
It said in a statement:
“The hospital received the team from NCDC, and sample was taken from the patient on that Sunday, April 12, 2020.
“NCDC communicated the result on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, which confirmed the patient to be positive and said they were coming to evacuate the patient.
“NCDC did not come on Tuesday but eventually came on Wednesday, April 15, 2020, and evacuated the patient.
“The hospital has been cooperating with NCDC, WHO and all other health agencies that have called or visited since the incident.
“The hospital had been decontaminated on April 15 working with NCDC and following the guidelines stipulated by NCDC. Though NCDC counselled that they can start normal work after one (1) hour of decontamination, the hospital decided to remain closed and reopen for business on Friday, April 17, 2020.
“In line with guidelines prescribed by NCDC, those who visited the facility between April 11 and April 15 should immediately self isolate, stay at home and avoid contact with people including your family (by staying in a room) for 14 days.”
In another Twitter clarification, St Edward said:
“St Edward hospital does not treat covid 19 patients. I am a cardiologist. One of my hypertensive diabetic patient tested postive for covid19 and he was sent to the isolation centre according to protocol. Anybody can have covid19. We cannot start neglecting or sending away patients because we think they may have covid 19. Patient have to test positive before you can send them to the isolation centre. Unfortunately, the test takes about 3 days for the result to comes out. While you are waiting, you have to do your best as a doctor to keep the patient alive.”
