UPDATE: IBADAN, OYO STATE (25/APRIL/2020) — The Hospital in the viral COVID-19 story in Ibadan, Lafia Hospital Apata, has reached out to OYOGist.com to deny the claims going round the media and the community of Ibadan that they were shut down by the Oyo State government.
OYOGist.com recalls that the streets of Apata Ibadan and beyond was palpating with fear, after the news of a COVID-19 patient that had allegedly been attended to at the hospital spread. OYOGist.com later picked up the story, which went viral on the social web.
A member of the hospital who is close to the situation has on Saturday, 25th of April reached out to OYOGist.com to set the record straight about what transpired in the clinic with the COVID-19 patient that was attended to.
According to the source, on Monday, the 20th of April 2020, a COVID-19 positive patient did indeed come to the clinic for treatment and was attended to by the medical doctor on duty. The patient, a 55-year old “known” patient with hypertension and diabetes, who was positive with COVID-19 but, according to the hospital, hid the fact that he was positive.
He reportedly visited Lafia Hospital Apata for treatment after having visited 3 undisclosed hospitals earlier for typhoid and malaria fever without improvement. The said patient was examined by a doctor who requested for an X-ray examination.
When he brought the report on Tuesday, the 21st of April, a Consultant “suspected” COVID-19 and was “at the point of contacting NCDC” when his daughter “confessed” to the hospital that her father had tested positive to COVID-19.
The hospital’s source revealed that the patient was thereafter referred to the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, where he later passed away on Wednesday on the 22nd of April 2020.
Lafia Hospital’s CMD, Dr. Adetunji Taiwo said the COVID-19 positive patient, a 55-year old hypertension and diabetes patient, was never admitted by their hospital.
“Let us categorically state it here that a 55-year old patient visited the hospital with his daughter, who is a Pharmacist[sic], after earlier attempts to be admitted in about 3 undisclosed private hospitals,” said Dr. Taiwo.
“On Tuesday 21st April, the patient’s report reviewed by the Consultant on call was suspected to be Covid-19, and it was at the point of contacting the NCDC that the patient’s daughter confessed that her father has been tested for covid -19”.
“He was immediately referred to UCH where he eventually died on Wednesday 22nd April 2020”.
In a strongly worded statement, Dr. Taiwo revealed that the facility was not at any time closed by NCDC or Oyo State Government, describing the allegations as false, malicious and childish. He added that the hospital’s management resolved to close the hospital for 14 days, isolate all members of staff who had contact with the patient and have them tested for covid-19, without being prompted by NCDC.
“Our facility was visited by the task force from NCDC on Thursday 23rd April. Even though not prompted by NCDC to close, the facility is currently closed off for decontamination of the building and our services remain suspended for 14 days. The safety of our staff and our patients is of paramount importance to us[sic].”
“NCDC Decontamination exercise ongoing,” Hospital management.
The management of Lafia Hospital further stated that the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) has visiting the clinic to conduct decontamination exercise. According to the source, “the hospital’s management resolved to close the hospital for 14 days, isolate all members of staff who had contact with the patient and have them tested for COVID-19, without being prompted by NCDC [sic]”
“Our facility was visited by the task force from NCDC on Thursday 23rd April. Even though not prompted by NCDC to close, the facility is currently closed off for decontamination of the building and our services remains [sic] suspended for 14 days,” the source told OYOGist.
See more photos of the NCDC team decontaminating Lafia Hospital, Apata Ibadan below:
OYOGist.com will continue to bring you more reports and update on this story.
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