The Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Amaku, Awka, Anambra, says it has five functional ventilators, including an anesthetic machine, to respond to COVID-19 emergency.
The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of COOUTH, Dr Basil Nwankwo, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Tuesday.
Nwankwo, who spoke through Dr Emmanuel Azuike, the hospital’s Deputy Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, said the ventilators were a boost to the hospital’s capacity to handle emergencies relating to COVID-19.
NAN reports that Anambra is, at the moment, free of COVID-19, as Gov. Willie Obiano had, in a statewide broadcast, announced that the only index case as well as the 39 contacts had tested negative to the virus.
The CMD said no fewer than 22 staffers, including anesthetic nurses, intensive care unit nurses, anesthetic doctors and resident doctors, had been trained on how to use the ventilator machines.
According to him, the state is not only COVID-19 free, but also ready to respond to emergencies.
“We have five ventilators, including an anesthetic machine, fully-functional in the hospital; our staffers have been trained on how to use them; what that means is that Anambra is not only free of confirmed cases, but fully prepared.
“All these are made possible by the proactive and pragmatic leadership of Gov. Obiano, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Vincent Okpala and the rest of the team, who have been working round the clock to achieve the feat,” he said.
Nwankwo said that no clinic or department of COOUTH was closed since the outbreak of coronavirus in Nigeria and that the atmosphere in the hospital had remained calm.
He said there were enough personal protective equipment (PPE) for members of staff of the hospital, adding that residents of the state, who had unusual health conditions, should feel free to come to the hospital and access medical services.
The CMD, however, warned the people of the state against flouting the safety measures against coronavirus.
Rather, he said that they should continue to use face masks, wash their hands regularly with soap and running water, maintain social distancing and use hand sanitisers.