By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Nine medical staff of St. Joseph Hospital, Adazi-Nnukwu, Anambra State, have been quarantined following their contact with the index case while on admission in the hospital

In a statement made available to News Express on Wednesday by the hospital Administrator, Fr. Jerome Okafor, the hospital said the staff were quarantined after a meeting with a joint team of National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and Anambra State Ministry of Health.

It insisted that contrary to the index case denial of not having the virus, that the the sample taken from him after admission tested positive of COVID-19.

It said that subsequent to the patient’s evacuation from the hospital, that both the room he occupied and the entire was fumigated.

The statement reads in part: “It is pleasure of the administration of St. Joseph hospital to put on record that a joint team of National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and Anambra State Ministry of Health were at Dr. Joe Nwilo Heart Centre on Saturday, April 11, 2020.

“They verbally communicated to us that the sample they have taken from a patient who had been admitted to the unit tested COVID-19 positive.

“A representation of the hospital, including some staff of the centre, had a cordial discussion with the team over the events of the past few hours.

“After briefing and discussion that followed, the team proceeded to decontaminate the room which the patient had occupied and to fumigate the entire center. They also quarantined nine medical staff that had contact with the patient during the time of his admission.

“During the discussion, the team conceded that the staff of the centre had been professional in the handling of the index case. They explained that the procedural error in putting out the results to the media was likely committed by the NCDC Abuja.

“They suggested that even the state governor had not gotten the result when the news hit the media. The offices responsible for communicating the bad news started on damage control.”

The Administrator added that the visiting team promised to make changes in their procedures to prevent a reoccurrence saying that the NCDC officers have been faithful in their daily visit to check the quarantined staff.

According to him, the officers assured the hospital team that the delay they experienced in response to their invitation shall also be addressed.

“The team promised to do so as soon as their office gets a consignment of supplies.” Administration requested that the reality of COVID-19 is now glaring and since its hospital staff by the nature of their work are on the front line of the battle to contain the virus spread, also considering that with tune-down in the operations of some public hospitals which are bound by charity to attend to all manner of patients, regardless of their economic and social status, its staff be considered in provision of some personal protective equipment, and some palliative measures too,” the statement added.

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