A coronavirus disease (COVID-19) isolation and treatment centre for patients in Abuja has been expanded to accommodate three hundred (300) beds.

The centre being put in place by the CCECC resulted from the partnership between ThisDay and Sahara Foundation.

The project was originally constructed to accommodate two hundred (200) beds.

However, in a statement by Sahara Group on Monday, it said that increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the country made the increment to three hundred (300) beds necessary.

The expansion, according to the statement, also include the completion of facilities to support the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control tests for the virus along with the inclusion of eight ICU transit beds for severe cases.

Engineers overseeing the project were said to have hinted that the new expansion directive meant that the projected completion date of the project would be moved from April 20 to April 27, 2020.

The Sahara Charitable Foundation Chairman, Major Gen. Emeka Onwuamaegbu (retd.), said,

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.

Ninety 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.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.