The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo Olu yesterday commissioned a permanent Triage and Oxygen Therapy Centre in Eti-Osa Local Government Area to provide swift emergency oxygen therapy to critical COVID-19 cases in the area.
The facility which would double as a COVID19 sample collection centre is located within the premises of the Eti-Osa Maternal and Child Care Centre.
The facility is also one of 10 facilities strategically located in 10 Local Government Areas, LGAs, of the State with high burden of COVID-19 cases.
Speaking during the official launch of the facility, Sanwo-Olu disclosed that the need to better manage severe-to-critical COVID19 cases spurred the State government to build and deploy the oxygen therapy centres in 10 high burden local government areas.
“One of the strategies adopted in response to the recent increase in COVID-19 infection is the provision of the COVID19 Permanent Sample Collection Triage and Oxygen Therapy Centre in 10 local government areas across Lagos to support patients with oxygen before they are transferred to care centres”
Represented by the State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, he xplained that the project which was handled by a super-fast project management was inevitable to prepare against the second wave of the COVID 19 Pandemic.
He stated further that the facility could not have come at a better time than now when the State is recording increase in the number of people presenting with difficulty in breathing and requiring urgent oxygen therapy.
Sanwo-Olu noted that with the construction and decentralization of the Triage and Oxygen Therapy Centres, citizens requiring oxygen therapy would not have to travel a distance to Mainland Infectious Disease Hospital to access care.
He stressed that patients requiring oxygen treatment in Eti-Osa can walk to the centre for treatment and care.
The Governor explained further that the facility which is a permanent facility will be an addition to the existing infrastructure in the hospital stressing that the facility after the pandemic can be used for other medical purposes.
He said other Permanent Triage and Oxygen Therapy Centre located in Alimosho, Isolo, Surulere, Gbagada, Ifako-Ijaiye, Ibeju-Lekki, Apapa, Mushin and Amuwo-Odofin areas of the State are almost completed and would be activated in two weeks.
