CDD FACT CHECK: Did Lagos release list of private hospitals exposed to COVID-19 cases?

CLAIM: Fact-checkers at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) on Thursday, April 23, spotted a statement circulating online, which claimed that the Lagos state government had released a list of health facilities in the state exposed to coronavirus (COVID-19) patients.

The purported list, which has been extensively shared on WhatsApp has the names of 17 health facilities in the state.

FACT: Checks by CDD revealed that the Lagos state government never released such list.

During a briefing held on Sunday, April 19, 2020, Akin Abayomi, the Lagos commissioner for health, said about 17 hospitals had reached out to the ministry for assistance after being exposed to coronavirus (COVID-19) patients.

Abayomi, however, never mentioned the names of the hospitals.

A few days after the announcement, a list of 17 private health facilities in the state started circulating online.

Responding to the development, the Lagos state government in a statement on Thursday, April 23, 2020, urged members of the public to disregard the list.

Abiola Idowu, secretary of the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) in Lagos, also confirmed that the list did not emanate from the agency or the ministry of health.

Idowu, while acknowledging that some health facilities might have unintentionally admitted or treated COVID-19 patients, appealed to members of the public to desist from stigmatising any health facility or individuals who may have been exposed to COVID-19.

Furthermore, in the statement, which was posted on the Lagos state government’s official Twitter handle, the government warned healthcare facilities in the state against unauthorised admission and treatment of confirmed COVID-19 cases.

According to the statement, any facility caught violating the laid-down protocol of operations, especially about COVID-19 case management, would be sanctioned.

CONCLUSION: The Lagos state government did not release a list of 17 private hospitals exposed to coronavirus (COVID-19) patients.

The CDD is urging members of the public to avoid sharing information that may cause panic and be harmful to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19:Lagos urges Public to Disregard List of Hospitals Exposed to Coronavirus cases @jidesanwoolu @drobafemihamzat @LSMOH @ProfAkinAbayomi #LagosAgainstCovid19 #CovidLASG #LASG #ForAGreaterLagos pic.twitter.com/VNz2dAEc9Q

— The Lagos State Govt (@followlasg) April 24, 2020

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