Private hospital where Abba Kyari died was accredited, ‘Biosecurity-Compliant’- Lagos govt

By our reporter| Lagos state government on Saturday said, the private hospital in the state where Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari died, is a government-accredited facility.

The state health commissioner, Professor Akin Abayomi, in a series of tweets following allegation that the late Kyari flouted government health officials recomendations by treating himself in a private facility, said First Cardiology Consultants, Ikoyi, where Kyari was treated for COVID-19 infection is a biosecurity-compliant COVID-19 facility accredited by the Health Facility Management and Accreditation Agency of the Lagos State Ministry of Health.

Abayomi said, ”Following enquiries on the passing away of the Chief of Staff to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mallam Abba Kyari on Friday 17th April, 2020, the Lagos State Government states that:
Mallam Abba Kyari died from
Complications of #COVID19 infection at First Cardiology Consultants in Lagos”.

”This hospital is a Lagos State designated high care, biosecurity-compliant, #COVID19 facility, accredited by the Health Facility Management and Accreditation Agency.”

”As a basis for accreditation, First Cardiology Consultants established a separate specialist wing with staff dedicated to the treatment of complicated cases of #COVID19, under the supervision of the Lagos State #COVID19 emergency response team”.

The Lagos state government’s position, however, appears to have contradicted the position of Osagie Ehanire, the Minister of Health, that the federal government had not accredited any private hospital to treat COVID-19 patients.

Speaking on Friday in Abuja, the minister noted that although some private hospitals have shown interest to treat the virus, none have met the criteria to receive approval yet.

“No accredited private hospital has been given approval in Abuja. Lagos is looking at some accredited hospitals. There’s one large hospital in Lagos that has called me and said they want to become a coronavirus treatment centre.

“The structure of the hospital is that they are ready to remove all present patients they have and do nothing but Coronavirus treatment. That would be good because they don’t stand the chance of cross-infection.

“But, at the moment, there is no hospital that has met the criteria.”