The Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday raised an alarm said the demand for oxygen by COVID-19 patients has grown by 400 percent.
Speaking during a Press Conference on COVID-19 Update at the Lagos House, Ikeja on Tuesday, Sanwo-Olu said upward trend is due to an increase in the number of recorded cases of coronavirus in the country.
He the demand for oxygen had risen from 70 six-litre cylinders per day to 350 six-litre cylinders per cent in Yaba.
The Governor also said that the increase in the positivity of coronavirus cases in the second wave has necessitated the greater amount of oxygen for the moderate to severe cases of admission in all the isolation centres.
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“Over the last few weeks, the demands for oxygen has risen from 70 six-litre cylinders per day to 350 six-litre cylinders in our Yaba Mainland Hospital. This is projected to more than double to 750 six-cylinders, before the end of January 2021,” the Governor said.
“ln addition to providing oxygen at our isolation centres, the Lagos State Government has decentralised the availability of oxygen across the state through the provision of 10 oxygen and sampling kiosks. Oxygen therapy and other related services will be provided to patients that require them.
“Five of these 10 oxygen centres have been commissioned while the remaining five will be ready for use within the next four weeks. It is our expectation that these sampling kiosks would be easily accessible to residents that require oxygen therapy at the level of LGAs as stabilisation points prior to onward transmission to our Isolation centres, if required.
“This strategy is to further increase the fighting chance of Lagos residents that have contracted the virus and require immediate oxygen therapy,” he said.
He called on residents to consider any malaria-like symptoms as COVID-19 virus infection unless and until proven not to be one.
He therefore advised that anyone with such symptoms should proceed to any of the state’s public health facilities or laboratories to get tested for free.
He noted, “Seeking help early and quickly significantly improves the chances of survival for severe to critical cases.”
He said the alarming trend of COVID-19 has necessitated the reopening of some of the previously closed isolation centres, such as the Indo Isolation Centre and Gbagada Isolation Center to contain the rising cases and re-flattening the curve in the shortest possible time.
