16 more Ilorin General Hospital staff test positive for COVID-19, toll now 36

•Hospital new epicentre of the virus in Kwara

Sixteen more health workers at the Kwara State General Hospital, Ilorin have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections at the facility to 36.

The Government had on Wednesday said the state recorded 16 new cases of the disease.

THE INFORMANT247 learnt a doctor, 13 nurses, and 2 ward attendant were the infected cases.

An official, who pleaded anonymity, had told our correspondent that the hospital is the new epicentre of the disease in the state, and that transmission may have been established amongst the health workers in the hospital as a result of non adherence to safety protocols, and non availability and use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs).

THE INFORMANT247 had earlier reported that 20 health workers at the Hospital tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

The staffers inlcude 9 doctors, 4 nurses and 2 ward attendant.

This brings the total number of infected health officials at the facility to 36; 10 doctors, 21 nurses and 5 ward attendant.

However, nurses at the hospital have been agitating for the temporary closure of the entire facility to allow the government more time to tackle the outbreak.

Another official of the hospital who also pleaded anonymity said, “This agitation and request has been rebuffed by officials of the Hospital Management Bureau and State Ministry of Health who are worried about the embarrassment this would cause the State Government.”

Several efforts to reach the Director General, Kwara State Hospital Management Bureau, Ladi Saad, proved abortive.

Meanwhile, the Government, in a statement issued by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, on Wednesday said the sudden peak in the number of COVID-19 cases followed a deliberate effort of the committee to contact-trace and test all persons and health workers that have had contacts with two persons that recently sneaked into the state and tested positive to the virus.

The statement added, “Various precautionary measures have since been taken at the two hospitals, including disinfection of relevant wards, relocation of other patients to some other wards, testing of all the contacts, and a renewed emphasis on the need for healthcare workers to treat every patient as a potential COVID-19 case.”

“For the record, the rise in the cases was a result of government’s proactiveness in rounding up all contacts and testing all of them. Insinuations about the lack of PPEs or shortage of same are unfounded and reckless.”