About 75 health workers at the University Of Benin Teaching Hospital have been asked to immediately go into self-isolation after coming in contact with persons infected with Coronavirus.
The health workers include doctors, nurses and radiographers.
They are to be on isolation for 14-days.
Edo State currently has 11 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 with one death.
In a statement, Public Relations Officer of the hospital, Dr Benedicta Ehanire, said that staff affected by this directive are to work from home.
It read, “For the avoidance of doubt, all staff on essential services such as healthcare, security, utilities including water and electricity, as well as fire service are not affected by this directive, but are to continue to perform their invaluable roles during this period.”
Sources at the hospital said that the facility was thrown into confusion when tests done for three patients, who previously tested negative to the virus, came back positive.
The sources said the hospital traced not less than 30 health workers, who came in contact with the persons infected but asked 75 persons to observed self-isolation while the hospital remains shut for an additional two weeks until April 16, 2020.
Workers at the hospital bemoaned that the state was not ready for the virus as no medical equipment was put in place by the state to combat the outbreak of the virus.
The health workers urged government to help equip the state with and PPE to make them carry out their work without fear of contracting the virus.
“We call on well-meaning individuals and organizations around the world to help support the nurses at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital with appropriate PPEs as it will go a long way in improving the efficiency of the service they render to their patients during this period.
“The hospital has some PPE but they have been designated for healthcare workers at the isolation unit of the teaching hospital.
“Please, help the nurses to help the patients, don’t forget that there are non-Coronavirus infected patients in the hospital. We value the lives of our nurses.
“They have families and they should be protected by all. Nurses are ready to work but with adequate protection,” the health workers pleaded.
The health workers also used the opportunity to ask government for their withheld salaries as it would serve as an added incentive to work as the world battles Coronavirus.
