Nsa Gill, Calabar
In the wake of the alarm by the National Center for Disease Control NCDC, that the ravaging Coronavirus Pandemic may likely get to all states in Nigeria, the management of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, (UCTH) is appealing for assistance to enable the hospital to expand the five-room facility serving as the only Isolation center, equipped in Cross River State.
The State is yet to record any case of the Pandemic but remains vulnerable having two of her neighbouring states, Benue and Akwa Ibom with cases as well as cases also in the Republic of Cameroon, which has a border with the State.
The Chief Medical Director of UCTH, Prof. Ikpeme A. Ikpeme, accompanied by other senior management staff led the newsmen on a tour of the five rooms’ facility which has four standard ICU beds and two functional ventilators.
Prof. Ikpeme used the opportunity to solicit for assistance from both the Federal and State Government, public-spirited organizations and individuals in order to expand the Isolation center to at least a 20-bed facility with an equal number of ventilators.
He noted that the UCTH Isolation center, at present was basically the only center equipped to handle any case of COVID-19 that may arise in Cross River State.
Ikpeme who assumed office as the CMD in UCTH last year’s April explained that the hospital was however prepared for the eventuality of any COVID-19 patient.
His words, “A protocol for the Management of any suspected case has been drawn up in accordance with NCDC protocol and this has been activated by our COVID-19 Task Force. This team is a multi-disciplinary team and they are the frontline health workers working with Management to confront this pandemic. The Head of the team is Dr. Ubong Udoh, a Clinical Microbiologist”.
“The entire staff of UCTH has been briefed on the UCTH COVID-19 protocols through their Heads of Departments/Units as well as their Unions.”
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