FCT minister inspects upgraded facilities at isolation centre

The FCT Minister, Mr Muhammad Bello, on Wednesday inspected the upgraded Oxygen Supply Facilities installed at the Idu COVID-19 Isolation and Treatment Centre, Abuja.

Bello disclosed this in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Anthony Ogunleye, in Abuja.

He said that the need to upgrade the facilities at the center was necessitated by the second wave of COVID-19 which was evident by the end of 2020 and early 2021.

“When the second wave of COVID-19 hit the FCT, we realised there was need to improve on the available bed spaces that have pipe oxygen.

“Hitherto, we know that some of the facilities have pipe oxygen and others do not.

“We decided to upgrade the entire floor of the Idu Isolation centre so that at any point in time, we will always have hundred of beds that are well piped with oxygen for patients,” he said.

The minister expressed gratitude to the FCT Administration, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and the Federal Ministry of Health for assisting in upgrading the oxygen facilities at the centre.

He commended the members of staff of the center for their dedication to duty and their efforts in containing the spread of the virus in the FCT.

Earlier, Dr Mohammed Kawu, Acting Secretary, FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat, said that the centre had been upgraded from treating mild cases of COVID-19 to severe cases that would require  oxygen.

Kawu explained that the entire floor of the isolation centre had been piped to convey oxygen directly to 72 beds with the intention of increasing it to 100 beds over the coming week.

The minister was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary, FCTA, Mr Olusade Adesola, his Chief of Staff, Malam Bashir-Bornu and others.