A’ Ibom discharges another batch of 27 COVID- 19 patients

The Akwa Ibom state government has discharged another set of 27 patients who tested positive to COVID-19 in the state.

Addressing a press conference in Uyo on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dominic Ukpong said the 27 patients were the highest number discharged in one swoop since the state recorded its index cases.

Ukpong confirmed that five patients remain at the isolation centre, saying that the five cases would be retested to verify if they were still positive.

He explained that the discharged patients who were in the isolation centre for 19 days were in good health, adding that their houses and families have already been contacted and they were returning to a safe environment.

The commissioner disclosed that no health worker in the state has died of COVID-19 and encouraged them to always guard their health as they were the first responders in the treatment of the disease.

“Today is the day we’ve had the largest number of discharged cases. We discharged 27 people today and that is very large for this state. What makes it significant is that we have not recorded any loss.

“They are all going out without symptoms. They have been with us now for 19 days under good management by our management team. Thanks to Governor Udom Emmanuel and the incident management committee with the encouragement, support, accommodation and all other facilities by the chief medical director of Ibom Multi-Speciality Hospital.

“Those people discharged today, are going out in good health and I want to mention that their houses and families have already been contacted, they are in self- isolation; we managed them too.

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“So, they are returning to a safe environment. We have talked to them as we are talking to any other person who has left here on discharge, that it is important to maintain personal hygiene.

“This state has not recorded the death of health workers for this purpose and I think it is glory to God that has not happened, and also credit to the governor, who has provided avenue for training and re-training of people who take care of these patients.

“We have progressed in the care for our COVID-19 patients in the sense that recently, we commissioned our isolation centre, the first of its kind in the state and one of the best we can find anywhere. Along with it, we also have a PCR level 3 molecular laboratory.

“We have just been told that we have gotten the certificate from the NCDC that the laboratory has more than met the requirements. In fact, they say it is the best in Nigeria, others say it is the best in Africa today.

“It cannot only test coronavirus, it can test other viruses, but beyond that, it can do RMA and DNA tests. That means it can actually merge cancer cells, cancer of the cervix and cancer of the breast, so it can tell whether you have it, so that you can commence treatment.

“It is a very comprehensive laboratory. That is why we say it is the best in Africa. One significant thing about it is that it is the first state established laboratory, all others across the country were established by the federal government,” he stated.