Twenty-five doctors at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Edo State have allegedly gone into isolation after three coronavirus patients lied about their travel history, exposing the medical personnel and others to risk of the virus.
It was learnt that one of the patients, who had underlying kidney problems, has died.
This allegedly happened on Saturday, two days after The Herald reported a similar case at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).
According to UK-based Nigerian doctor, Dr. Olufunmilayo Harvey, the three patients had travelled abroad recently prior to their admittance to UBTH but failed to reveal this fact.
He said they were admitted via the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Unit with complaints of cough, difficulty in breathing and catarrh but they all denied their travel history.
Although preemptive coronavirus tests were said to have been conducted on the patients, the tests came out negative.
The patients were then moved to the open ward, where they had contacts with many doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff.
However, when one of the three patients began to deteriorate rapidly, he said, another round of coronavirus tests was conducted on them, returning positive results.
Harvey, who also exposed the LUTH case, explained, “THIS IS MADNESS! Patient relatives have done it again. 3 patients have tested positive for Coronavirus. 1 of them is dead. ALL of them denied coming back from Europe and have exposed health workers to the virus. Right now, 25 doctors have now gone into isolation in UBTH Benin.
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“This happened today in University of Benin Teaching Hospital in Edo State. The patients were admitted via A and E with complaints of cough, difficulty in breathing, catarrh but they all DENIED their travel history. Clearly, Nigerian patients have decided to kill health workers.
“They were initially tested as negative and they were then transferred to the open ward where they had contact with many doctors, nurses, cleaners, and health workers. One of them deteriorated so bad and they repeated the test for all of them after 72hours – it came back POSITIVE.
“The one that deteriorated had kidney problems and is now dead. 25 medical doctors have now gone into isolation in UBTH. Of that 25, thirteen are doctors who just graduated from medical school. Why do patients lie? Why are Nigerians a mad set of people? Why are we like this?”
He added, “25 doctors (are) now in isolation in UBTH Benin because three morons with Coronavirus decided to lie about their travel history. Of this 25 doctors, 13 have just finished medical school. Just imagine: 6 years of med school, and get killed by a virus. Why are these patients evil?
“These 13 doctors have just finished from medical school. 12 of them are in postgraduate training trying to become a specialist. They have all encountered these unfortunate moron patients who think lying to doctors and putting health workers at risk of a dangerous virus is okay.
“These doctors have families Some have wives. Some have husbands. Some have children. If they catch this virus and they die, many families will lose a breadwinner, and many will be in tears. If you are not a total animal, Why will you do this to someone trying to save your life?
“If that doctor was your father, Will you want a Coronavirus patient to lie to him in that way? If that nurse was your wife or mother, will want someone to expose her to this virus like this? Why are we complete animals when we go to hospitals and expose other people to risks?”
He proposed the criminalisation of the deliberate act of withholding vital information from medical personnel which puts them at risk.
The doctor said, “If I ever become a governor or anything of the sort, if anyone is guilty of putting a health worker at risk of a fatal disease by lying to that health worker – I would personally ensure that it is a crime punishable by the death penalty. This is complete madness. We must stop it.
“Any patient who lies about their symptoms and travel history that later turns out to be positive for Coronavirus MUST be treated like a felon and a terrorist. Until these animals are treated like terrorists and prosecuted by law, this madness will not stop. This is irritating.”
The Edo State Government has yet to confirm the incident.