COVID-19 PANDEMIC: IMPACT ON GYNAECOLOGICAL ENDOSCOPY AT THE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE HOSPITAL IBADAN

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on endoscopic services in a low resource economy is formidable. With the emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), there has been genuine concerns about the risk of transmission during gynaecological endoscopy via the diffusion of contaminated aerosols generated from CO2 leakage and smoke created by energy devices. A pragmatic step in mitigating transmission at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, resulted in the closure of the Endoscopic unit for 3 months whilst deploying increased hygienic methods coupled with social distancing. This however had its unintended consequences of delay and increased backlog of cases aside the economic losses. Developing a unit-based policy/protocol in response to any future unforeseen occurrence should take front stage in the planning and administration of the unit. Adopting global best practices and guidelines from researched evidence is not only imperative but desirable especially in the context of limited resources.