Lagos State Government has taken delivery of a 110-bed isolation facility on the Lagos Island, where confirmed cases of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the State can be managed and treated. The facility was conceived and built in collaboration with the management of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank).
Managing Director of GTBank, Mr. Segun Agbaje, on Saturday, personally handed over the hospital facility to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, five days after the bank started the construction of the isolation centre sited on the main bowl of the Mobolaji Olufunsho Johnson Stadium in Onikan.
Governor Sanwo-Olu praised the bank’s management for the speed with which the structure was built, disclosing that the facility was equipped with “world-class” equipment and medical supplies that would aid the State Government to deliver adequate care to those infected with COVID-19.
He said: “I am very excited to take possession of this 110-bed isolation facility which the Lagos State Government and Guaranty Trust Bank have put together. In our assessment, it is a world-class facility which has been achieved within a week. Contractors at multilevel worked tirelessly to put up the structure.
“This is a reflection of strong can-do spirit of Nigerians, especially the brand called GTBank. I am happy that the GTBank saw the need for this collaboration. We are going through trying times globally, which is occasioned by unprecedented level of a pandemic. What we are doing in Lagos is that, we are building excess capacity in the event that we witness a spike in cases of COVID-19 infection.”
The Governor allayed the fear of the residents over the growing cases of the disease, saying the State was working assiduously to stem the rate of transmission, especially by those who returned from abroad.
The Governor hinted that there had been improvement in the recovery of some patients currently isolated at the State’s Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) in Yaba. He said the State would continue to build capacity to enhance its response strategy and actions towards containing the pandemic.
Agbaje hailed the State Government for accepting the collaboration offer in building the structure, noting that half of the resources used to build the facility was donated by Africa Finance Corporation.
He expressed optimism that the effort would strengthen the capacity of Lagos to stop the spread of the virus.
The isolation facility, which sits on an expansive area in the stadium, is divided into operational sections, including Intensive Care Unit (ICU), regular-bed wards, pharmacy department, doctors’ quarters and consulting rooms. The facility is also equipped with ventilators for the use of patients that may develop acute respiratory symptoms.
