• Oxygen Shortage Poses Threat In Isolation Centres
• We Need A Combination Of Various Solutions To Stop Spread —NCDC Boss
The Investigation revealed that most government hospitals in the country, especially in Lagos State, have been overwhelmed by upsurge of COVID-19 patients needing intensive care with oxygen support to survive.
The daily rise in cases and deaths in the second wave has made some persons and groups to call for another lockdown, as obtained in United Kingdom (UK) and other climes.
Also, The investigation revealed that there is alarming demand for oxygen in most public hospitals. It was reliably gathered that the second wave infection has brought about increase demand for oxygen at isolation centres across the country. Three hundred cylinders of gas is said to be used daily in Lagos isolation facilities, with a critical patient needing about six cylinders of oxygen within 24 hours.
The situation has raised so many questions than answers as to how many active isolation centres are there across the country and what is the country’s daily oxygen need for effective oxygen therapy, what efforts the Federal Government is making to increase oxygen generation in-country and what is the state of oxygen availability
the Lagos State Government and Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation brought about the Lagos Oxygen Plant within the premises of the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH), Yaba.
But the oxygen generator in Gwagwalada, Abuja, provided by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), can generate only four cylinders of oxygen a day, while the supply made by the Nigeria Air Force from Yola, Adamawa State, is still very far from the needed quantity.
Many wonder whether there are ongoing collaborations between government and the private sector to increase the oxygen plants or import to make up.
Reacting to the development, Director General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu,
“The fact is that there is no silver bullet to stop the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. We need a combination of various solutions to do this.
