It has been established that the 70-year-old suspected patient of coronavirus in Enugu did not die out of any negligence as being alleged in some quarters by the patient’s “purported daughter”.
The 70-year-old patient, a woman, who had just returned from the UK to the country, is said to have a history of other complications before she was admitted at the Enugu hospital.
As earlier reported by Igbere TV, the result of the investigation sent to Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital in Edo State, came out ‘negative’. This was further collaborated by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
Further investigation launched into the deceased patient’s history on Wednesday by Igbere TV, showed that the woman was well taken care of at the Isolation Centre and discharged by the health workers before her demise.
According to records at our disposal, the patient, who was first rejected at different hospitals in the state, had hypertension, sugar issues and kidney diseases which were poorly managed before her eventual admission at the Enugu Isolation Centre.
The health workers, therefore, expressed utmost dismay over “the mischievous allegation of negligence trending on social media, being peddled by the purported daughter of the 70-year-old woman”, while alleging blackmail on the part of the woman’s family.
“As health workers in Enugu, we state that we have basic knowledge of what transpired as well as the high level commitment of the medical doctors and other personnel who worked tirelessly to manage the woman, that was first REJECTED by all federal medical institutions in Enugu, before she was accepted by the ESUT Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu.”
They commended the Enugu State Government “for not joining issues with the so-called daughter of the woman who deliberately did not write her name, in her immoral, insensitive and baseless vituperations against the state and integrity of our medical profession (if truly she was the one that wrote the mischievous letter to the governor, trending on social media).”
“It is disheartening that when we expected her and other family members of the woman, to show gratitude to the state government and the medical personnel for accepting to treat their rejected mother, under such intense panic and anxiety over the suspected spread of the deadly COVID-19 in the state, it was not forthcoming.
The health workers said it was strange and they felt bad seeing the ‘so-called daughter of the woman’, who they said admitted her mother had multiple ailments, mischievously alleged that her “mother died due to the negligence and unpreparedness of the state in putting adequate facilities, including staff training in place”.
“We therefore state categorically that this allegation is false, mischievous and a clear case of ingratitude,” some of the health workers – Chinwe Udeh, Agatha Nnamani, Nkem Eze, Emeka Anene and Peter Udemezue, insisted. “Nothing can be farther from the truth.”
They berated the alleged woman’s daughter for her act of mischief and ingratitude on social media, which they said was “aimed at undermining the efforts our colleagues, other medical personnel and the state government, made to save her mother.”
Calling the attention of the public to some “facts” that must have been largely responsible for the death of the patient, the health workers said, “the 70-year old woman was promptly received and interviewed by doctors without any form of stigmatization from them or other health workers.”
“She was having problem of cough and fever. Being a returnee from Europe qualified her to be a suspected case of COVID-19, which incidentally was NEGATIVE after the investigative result came out.
“Also, it was said that she had hypertension, sugar issues and kidney disease which were poorly managed before her admission at the isolation centre. Her personal doctor, a specialist at the ESUTH Parklane, was also contacted and later went to the Isolation Centre with two other specialists to see this woman.”
They said other “important tests” were carried out on the woman which showed her blood level was very low and needed transfusion, but “her son even refused to donate blood… but blood was sourced outside and later given to her.”
“These doctors and laboratory workers even collected sample from the throat of the woman for the main coronavirus test, hence there was no stigmatisation as the writer claimed,” added the health workers.
Insisting that no delay was recorded while treating the patient, the health workers said,“we all should remember that the NCDC said the result will be out by Monday, but the result came out on Sunday evening. Hence there was no delay in laboratory test. This result was said to be negative for corona virus.”
While refuting the claims that the Enugu Isolation Centre was not up to standard (as being alleged via viral photos on social media), the health workers said the late woman did not complain of neglect “as the whole health-care workers were with her until the time of her death.”
“Where was the supposed daughter all this while the mother was sick and being managed? It will be candid of us to know that where the woman was managed was clean and not the picture that is circulating on social media. May her soul rest in peace…”
The claims by the health workers were further collaborated by our team of reporters who were sent to the Enugu Isolation Centre on a ‘low-key’ investigation to get first-hand information, views and photos of the clinic as seen in the pictures below…
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