The Nigerian Medical Association and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives on Sunday cautioned the Federal Government against treating COVID-19 patients at home.

The NMA and the NANNM, in separate interviews with The PUNCH, said the implementation of home treatment in Nigeria, where the majorThe Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, at its press briefing on April 30, had said the Federal Government was considering treating some COVID-19 patients at home.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control Director-General, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, who disclosed this at the press briefing, said the country had only about 3,500 bed spaces for COVID-19 management.

“We are now trying to make more bed spaces available, but ultimately we might have to change our strategy and start considering homecare in certain circumstances where patients are able to provide rooms for their own management,” he said.ity of the infected people lived in crowded houses would create problems for the country.

The NMA specifically said patients, who would be treated in households with a large number of people might infect others, thus increasing COVID-19 cases in the country.

The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, at its press briefing on April 30, had said the Federal Government was considering treating some COVID-19 patients at home.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control Director-General, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, who disclosed this at the press briefing, said the country had only about 3,500 bed spaces for COVID-19 management.

“We are now trying to make more bed spaces available, but ultimately we might have to change our strategy and start considering homecare in certain circumstances where patients are able to provide rooms for their own management,” he said.

As of Saturday, there were 4,151 COVID-19 cases in Nigeria, with 3,278 of them still active and 745 discharged. No fewer than 128 people have died of the highly infectious virus.