By Damilola Kushimo
The Medical Officer of Health (MOH), Isolo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Dr. Baqiah Nojimudeen-Yesufu has disclosed that Okota Ward is the epicentre of the deadly coronavirus in the council area.
She made this known in a chat with our correspondent, stating that local contact tracers and 8-mam medical team to carry out the home care management would soon commence work to complement the efforts of state and federal government in battling the virus.
Although she did not give the breakdown on the cases in each ward within the council area, Dr. Nojimudeen-Yesufu confirmed that the cases were higher in Okota than any other ward.
“From our local statistics, Okota Ward is the epicentre of the virus in Isolo LCDA,” she claimed.
According to her, people’s compliance with the various measures given by the government to prevent community spread of the virus was too low in the council area.
She noted that as at July 3, as announced by the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi and the Primary Healthcare Board, the number of cases in Oshodi-Isolo LGA including Isolo and Ejigbo LCDAs was 477.
Nojimudeen-Yesufu, who felt dejected, said the figure is worrisome because many residents are not carrying out safety precautions recommended by the authorities at local, state and federal levels.
Speaking on the local contact tracing of confirmed cases and the home based care, the healthcare giver noted that both have become important at the local level to solidify efforts to curb the pandemic now that the isolation centres are overcrowded.
She said: “As it appears, more than 80 per cent of the cases now are asymptomatic while the other 20 per cent are those that have symptoms and they are the ones we see at isolation centres. But now, the centres have become overcrowded. Though ideally, we are expected to isolate every positive case but we don’t have the space anymore and looking at what other countries are doing, we see that asymptomatic cases could be treated at home.
“The care is going to be handled by an 8-man medical personnel which includes a doctor, community health officer, community health extension officer, nurse, the decontamination officer and the laboratory officer. It is strictly from the primary health care department. It is a team of trained caregivers and health personnel. Also, we will be recruiting members of the community who will serve as contact tracers and follow up on all the people that have been in contact in one way or the other with anyone tested positive for extended follow ups.”
Asked whether the home based treatment won’t expose other members of the family to the virus, the MOH explained: “If they know that the person is positive, they will take needed precautions just that most people don’t know what their symptoms are and that’s why they are not taking it serious but when they know that they have a family member that has the virus, they will be careful. And also, such will reduce stigmatisation in some way because it is because of the stigmatisation that we don’t have people disclosing their status but, with the home based method for asymptomatic or mild cases, stigmatisation will come to zero.
She said the home care scheme will take off next month at the end of the training of the personnel.
“Their work has become necessary because the whole team is becoming overwhelmed. Though the contact tracing is ongoing at the state level, we cannot overlook the need to do so at the community level especially to solidify all efforts. In light of this, we hope that the people will give much regards to the precautions and encourage governments’ untiring efforts.”
