Suspect with COVID-19 symptoms escapes from Delta hospital

Tension has heightened at Ughelli General Hospital in Delta state following the escape of a middle aged patient (names withheld) suspected with the symptoms of coronavirus allegedly whisked away by his relations who were afraid of him being isolated.

It was gathered that the state Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa has ordered a thorough search for the escapee as all hands are already on deck to fish out the runaway patient while the hospital is one of the holding centres established by the state government for persons suspected to have been infected with the virus.

Sources within the hospital said that the patient was yet to be registered at the records department of the hospital before he was allegedly whisked away, after the patient was rushed to the accident and emergency ward of the hospital by his relations on Wednesday night after he started showing symptoms of the ailment.

One of the doctors, who confirmed this incident to journalists on condition of anonymity, said that though it was not certain if the patient was infested with the virus, he was showing symptoms of COVID-19 when he was brought in.

He said: “When the patient was brought in for medical attention, the medical personnel at the accident and emergency section of the hospital, upon noticing the symptoms of the patient, immediately called the doctor on duty on the phone to inform him of a likely case of COVID-19 waiting to be attended to.

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“Unfortunately, the nurse who was attending to them, made the call in the presence of the patient’s relations who heard her conversation and immediately took the patient away claiming that their brother is not COVID-19 positive.

“But, as the time of this report, we have been able to trace and identify the patient, and we will be going after the patient immediately.”

In a swift reaction, the state Commissioner for information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu said: “We don’t have Ughelli General Hospital as part of the state government centre.

“Therefore, we don’t have any patient and we don’t have any record of such, and we cannot speak on what is not part of our centres, The suspected patient is not known to us and we don’t have any of such”.

In another development, a middle aged man identified as Ejiro Isaac was at the weekend caught stealing a bunch of plantain and chicken at the popular Igbudu Market in Warri

It was gathered that the suspect upon interrogation confessed to the shameful act, adding that his family members were dying of hunger as a result of the lockdown in the state.