News
Anambra govt deploys new strategy to reduce COVID-19 death rate
The government of Anambra State has introduced an intervention strategy for early intervention and handling of patients who have contracted COVID-19 to ensure low death rate arising from the virus.
This was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Vincent Okpala, who said that the State has evolved the COVID-19 chain of survival strategy to stem the spread of the disease.
According to Dr Okpala who issued the statement during the opening of a two-day training for private healthcare providers in Awka, the number of deaths recorded so far in the state could be attributed to the late presentation of cases by patients and diagnoses by health personnel.
He thus advocated the need for early intervention strategy adding that private healthcare providers, “who are closer to the people, should be the first point of call for any patient.”
“They have the power to give medical advice and save more patients if they do the right thing,” the commissioner said.
READ ALSO: Anambra Assembly orders closure of complex over COVID-19
Dr Okpala said that about 10,000 tests were conducted between December 7 and January 31, with 1,053 positive cases and 19 deaths.
“But we can record low cases and no death if we can do the right thing and adopt the state’s COVID-19 chain of survival strategy, which is about compliance with safety protocols.
“It is also about early recognition of symptoms, early identification with the system, early diagnosis, and initiation of treatment by healthcare personnel, early contact tracing, early notification of results, and initial treatment.
“The state has invested so many resources to contain the spread of COVID-19 but the major problem has been the lack of compliance.
“People and even some doctors will be treating malaria or typhoid and refuse to call for COVID-19 test until the patient starts experiencing shortness of breath or hypoxia.
“At that point, it might be difficult to handle such a case.
“We are training the private healthcare providers so we can have a unified practice in the handling of the pandemic and ensure early treatment because delay is dangerous,” he added.
Join the conversation
Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism
Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.
As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.
If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.
Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.
INVESTIGATION: In Kwara, multimillion-naira milk processing plant is abandoned, converted to a chicken outlet
After the government spent millions of naira to establish a milk processing plant in Kwara State that would provided jobs...
SPECIAL REPORT: For Sokoto communities, promise of healthcare is akin to death sentence
In this story, ABDULRASHEED HAMMAD delves into the dire realities of Primary Health Care services in Sokoto State, shedding light...
ICYMI…SPECIAL REPORT: NNPCL hides behind PIA to frustrate disclosure, accountability
Nigeria’s major oil company, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), in what appears to be a common practice of disregard...
INVESTIGATION: Multi-million naira Ekiti resort center remains uncompleted a decade after
The multimillion-naira project, expected to comprise recreational buildings, now consists of cassava farmland, a bush used for excretion, and a...
SPECIAL REPORT: Torturous experiences of students with disabilities in Oyo tertiary institutions
For students with disabilities in Oyo state-owned tertiary institutions, learning is a torturous and distressing experience, considering the building structures...