No Private Hospital Given Approval For COVID-19 Treatment – Health Minister

The Federal Ministry of Health has not accredited any private hospital to treat patients with COVID-19.

The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, released this on Friday during the Presidential Task Force (PTF) briefing on COVID-19 in Abuja.

The minister noted that while some private hospitals have shown an interest in treating the virus, none have yet met the criteria for receiving approval.

“No accredited private hospital has received approval in Abuja. Lagos is looking at some accredited hospitals. There is a big hospital in Lagos that called me and said that he wants to become a coronavirus treatment center.

“The structure of the hospital is that they are ready to remove all current patients and do nothing but treatment with coronavirus. This would be good because they have no chance of cross-infection.

“But at the moment, there is no hospital that meets the criteria.

“The treatment of private patients is not allowed. It’s risky. Coronavirus is one of the most easily transmitted diseases you can imagine. Therefore, it is not allowed to treat the coronavirus in particular, ”he said.

Ehanire added that there are important guidelines that need to be followed for a hospital to successfully deal with COVID-19.

“If you are a private person and want to run a treatment center, you need to show that you have the team. The doctor must be an infectious disease specialist.

“You need nurses and even trained cleaning products because the handling of this hospital is different from ordinary hospitals. They must be trained in professional infection control protocols. The hospital must be adequately ventilated.

“You need to be inspected by a team of accreditors who will help you to proceed.”

The minister said that as there is no hospital that meets the criteria, private treatment of patients with COVID-19 is risky and is not allowed.

Ehanire concluded that the early diagnostic treatment of patients with COVID-19 is very important to avoid fatality.