There is confusion at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Edo state, as 25 doctors were said to have gone on mandatory self-isolation.
This was as a result of three patients undergoing other treatment at the hospital testing positive for coronavirus, COVID-19.
It was learnt that the patients who were admitted at the Accident and Emergency (A&E) unit with complaints of cough, difficulty in breathing, catarrh, denied their travel history.
It was gathered that one of the COVID-19 patients was referred to Irrua Specialist Hospital, the other was moved to the isolation ward of UBTH while one died.
The worst hit in the apprehension are the workers at the wards where the patients were attended to in the hospital.
A statement on the UBTH’s Association of Residents Doctor (ARD) news update seen by Daily Trust, said 25 medical doctors who had contact with the patients have gone on self-isolation
The association expressed displeasure with the hospital’s management over what it described as poor handling of coronavirus situation in the facility.
According to the statement, many of the health workers have complained of lack of personal protective equipment like face masks and hand sanitisers.
A source who doesn’t want to be named, said the coronavirus crisis in the hospital started when the three patients who earlier tested negative for COVID-19 were declared positive after further test.
The source said “When the first series of test was reported to be negative, the patients were removed from isolation and taken into the male ward and in the process, other patients, doctors, nurses, cleaners, porters and patients’ relatives must have been exposed to the virus,” he said.
He said 13 of the 25 doctors are house officers while 12 are resident doctors.
Another source who spoke to our reporter in confidence said “the patients were attended to at Accident and Emergency ward, ICU, Dialysis Centre. In all these places people attended to them. So, many doctors and other workers have gone on self-isolation”
“While in the ward, one of the patients with a pre-existing medical condition – chronic kidney disease to be precise, deteriorated and was taken to the renal unit for dialysis (another exposure). He later died in the intensive care unit of the hospital (yet another exposure of health workers in ICU),” the second source explained.
When contacted for confirmation, the Chairman, Association of Residents Doctor, Dr. Uwa Ehigieba, asked the reporter to come to the hospital tomorrow.
The Public Relations Officer of UBTH, Joshua Uwaila, didn’t respond to our reporter’s request for comment.
