There was confusion at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Edo State, as 25 resident doctors were said to have gone on mandatory self-isolation after three patients on treatment at the hospital tested positive for Coronavirus.
It was learnt that the patients that were admitted through Accident and Emergency unit (A&E) of the hospital with complaints of cough, difficulty in breathing, catarrh all denied their travel history.
It was gathered that one of the COVID-19 patients has been referred to Irrua Specialist Hospital, and one died, while the third patient was moved from the ward back to the isolation ward. It was further gathered that worst hit in the apprehension are the wards where the three patients were attended to in the hospital.
A medical source who did not want to be named, said the coronavirus crisis in the hospital started when three patients who earlier tested negative for COVID-19 were declared positive after further test.
“When the first series of test was reported to be negative, the patients were removed from isolation and taken to 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 about 12 are resident doctors.
Another source who spoke to our reporter in confidence said “The patients were attended to at the 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,”
A statement on the UBTH’s Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) news update seen by Daily Trust, said 25 medical doctors who had contact with the patients have gone on mandatory self-isolation.
The statement said many of the health workers have complained of lack of personal protective equipment such as face masks and hand sanitizers.
When contacted for confirmation, the Chairman, Association of Residents Doctor, Dr. Uwa Ehigieba, asked the reporter to be at the hospital.
Also, calls put across to UBTH Public Relations Officer, Joshua Uwaila, were not answered.
