Sahara Foundation, the corporate social responsibility vehicle of energy conglomerate, Sahara Group, in collaboration with ThisDay, has announced plans to increase the capacity of Abuja’s coronavirus isolation and treatment centre to 300 beds with additional 8 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) transit beds amid rising cases in Nigeria.
The COVID-19 Isolation Centre, currently under construction by the CCECC inside Abuja’s ThisDay Dome, was originally planned to have 200 beds.
The expansion will also include the completion of facilities to support the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) tests for the virus along with the inclusion of 8 ICU transit beds for severe cases.
“The expansion of the facility at this time is in response to the recent increase of COVID-19 cases and the need to ensure that the centre is equipped to handle the most patients effectively and efficiently in line with global standards,” said Emeka Onwuamaegbu, a retired Major General and chairman of the foundation, in an emailed statement Monday.
NCDC confirmed 86 new coronavirus cases in Nigeria late Sunday, April 19, taking the total of confirmed cases in the country to 627, with 170 discharged and 21 deaths. The number of cases is expected to rise in the coming weeks Nigeria increases its testing capacity.
Engineers overseeing the project say the new expansion directive has led to a short postponement of the estimated completion date of the project from April 20 to April 27th, 2020 (with a five-day dry run), thus receiving its first patients that same week if required.
Onwuamaegbu said that “90 per cent of the project is complete and we are so grateful to the construction teams, frontline medical personnel, volunteers, the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19, the FCTA, NCDC and the Ministry of Health that are working together to spearhead our nation’s efforts towards halting the spread of the virus”.
He noted that the delivery of beds, ventilators and other equipment meant for the facility is on schedule to ensure seamless handover to the NCDC, while electrical and plumbing fittings are at an advanced stage which would make it the first coronavirus center with dialysis machines.
The foundation said other partners involved in the collaboration include the Presidency, Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA), China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), Arise News, Egbin Power Plc, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) representing stakeholders in the oil industry, Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Others include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health, The Regent School, Kenol Engineering, Mama Cass Foods, Wood Factory, Ebewele Brown Clothiers, TRAFFIK Clothing and Dr. Madu (the Medical Coordinator).
