A pharmacist, Mr Abiodun Ajibade, has called for inclusion of private hospitals and community pharmacies in the management of COVID-19 patients to reduce spread and deaths.
Ajibade, Chairman, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Oyo State Chapter, made the call in a telephone interview on Sunday.
He said that private hospitals took care of over 70 per cent of Nigerians’ health needs and should not be sidelined at a time of national emergency.
According to him, there is the need for active involvement of healthcare practitioners in the private sector because the ongoing community transmission of COVID-19 has great capacity to determine the future of the country.
“It is no longer news that COVID-19 is fully rooted in Nigeria. With over 120 deaths and over 4,000 confirmed cases, we do not need a prophet to announce the full manifestation of coronavirus in our nation,” he said.
The pharmacist hailed governments’ interventions so far but said more hands should be on deck to save the nation from the pandemic.
“As the number of infected patients is getting high, the strength of the government health facilities may suddenly be overwhelmed and the real point for uncontrollable deaths may be the next experience.
“Our preparedness to combat and bring the casualties under check will need active involvement of healthcare practitioners in the private sector,’’ he said.
Ajibade said that the current number of tests done should be greatly expanded through the accreditation of facilities of pharmacies and private hospitals.
He said that involving private healthcare professionals, especially those operating in the communities, was a strategy that should be added to the lineup of the nation’s combativeness against COVID-19.
He also called for an improvement in the isolation protocols.
The pharmacist urged the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control to urgently capture community pharmacies and private hospitals as liaison centres for patients on self-isolation.
According to him, it will give assurance of care.
He said that, from there, higher care from the government hospitals could be quickly arranged, where necessary.
“We need to organise the private healthcare centres of pharmacies and hospitals to work hand-in-hand to ensure we make provision for patients who should be encouraged on self-isolation in their homes.
“The patients will be monitored through telecommunication platform and catered for while remaining at home.
“The fear of death among those who have been advised to self-isolate has been responsible for the underground spread while they go around seeking for help.
“As things stand now, a bigger bug is here, putting to test our strength and might in protecting the sovereignty of our nation,’’ Ajibade said.
