Suspected Coronavirus Patient Who Tested Positive Dies In Enugu Isolation Centre
The Enugu suspected Coronavirus patient quarantined in the state
isolation centre has reportedly died.
It was reliably gathered on Wednesday morning that the woman died on
Sunday even before the state Ministry of Health came out to declare that
the woman was negative to the novel virus.
Family sources told newsmen that the septuagenarian was taken to the
Colliery Hospital where the state had dedicated for the treatment of
infectious diseases and allegedly abandoned the woman without any
medical treatment.
In a letter, the daughter wrote to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, decried
the manner her mother was treated, which she said caused her death.
The letter, which was obtained by our correspondent, reads:
“My dear Governor, Ifeanyichukwu Lawrence Ugwuanyi.
“I am writing on behalf of myself and family in regards to the
70-year-old woman suspected of the Covid-19 in Enugu published on
Saturday 14th March 2020. The patient who is my mother, unfortunately,
passed away on Sunday 15th March 2020 having tested negative to the
aforementioned virus. She returned to Nigeria on Wednesday 11th March
2020 after 5 months trip to the UK to visit her children.
“Whilst the health workers/officials at ESUTH Colliery Parklane had to
take the necessary precautions to protect themselves against this virus,
the manner and state at which they treated my mother was inhumane.
“My mother was isolated in a dilapidated environment that seems to have
been left uninhabitable over a long period of time. The isolation centre
in Enugu is an abandoned old section of the hospital, where the grass
and debris were being cleared whilst my mother was there. The staffs at
the hospital were unprofessional in the way they handled my mother. She
was stigmatized and this made her feel worthless.
“My mother arrived at the hospital on Friday 13th March 2020, blood
samples were collected on Saturday 14th March 2020 with results expected
on Monday 16th March 2020.
“As declared by the World Health Organisation that this is a global
pandemic, one would expect a faster testing time. My mother had to spend
3 days in a dire situation, without adequate health care and unsure of
what is happening around her. If the result for Covid-19 was ascertained
on time, my mother would still be here with us, as she would have been
moved to a better-equipped hospital with the right experts to deal with
her underlying illnesses.
“My mother died due to the negligence and unpreparedness of the state in
putting adequate facilities including staff training in place. The new
strand of the coronavirus was detected back in December 2019 and it is
absolutely disappointing that there is no appropriate isolation centre
in Enugu State.
“After the death of my mother, finding a workable stretcher to move her
body was impossible! You would expect any hospital to provide basic
facilities such as a stretcher – my mother’s body was carried into the
ambulance on a wretched tool.
“Considering that the Covid-19 result proved negative, we can conclude
that my mother died due to the following reasons – The state of the said
‘isolation centre’. Wrong treatment; Staff stigmatisation due to lack
of training in dealing with such cases.
“Furthermore, shortly after the news of a suspected Covid-19 patient was
published, the Enugu state government responded by releasing 20 Million
Naira for the management of the state isolation centre. In my opinion,
that is a little too late as strategies for dealing with the Corona
Virus pandemic should have been put in place before now. It should not
have taken my mother’s suspected case to prompt an action from the
government. The government should have anticipated this and appropriate
measures and facilities put in place.
“As l write this, l am sure that no plans have been made for any future
case of Covid-19 despite the promised allocated funds.
“In conclusion, l would like to reiterate that the environment of the
isolation centre, staff behaviour and the unpreparedness of the Enugu
state government resulted in my mother’s unexpected death.
“The objective of this letter is to make sure that no other person will
have to go through what my mother went through. I am therefore appealing
to the governor of Enugu state to ensure that the funds allocated to
the isolation centre is rightly used for the purpose for which it was
meant for.
“I urge the Enugu state government to ensure accountability to this
respect.
Sincerely,
a very heartbroken daughter.”
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