CONCERNED HEALTH WORKERS IN ENUGU STATE
Facts about the 70-year-old woman in Enugu earlier suspected of COVID-19 infection and the wicked blackmail by her so called daughter
With utter dismay, our attention has been drawn to the mischievous allegation of negligence trending on social media, being peddled by the purported daughter of the 70-year-old woman who was suspected to have been infected with Corona Virus – COVID-19 in Enugu, but tested NEGATIVE after a confirmed investigation at IRUA Specialist Hospital, Edo State.
As health workers in Enugu, we state that we have basic knowledge of what transpired as well as the high level commitment of the medical doctors and other personnel who worked tirelessly to manage the woman, that was first REJECTED by all federal medical institutions in Enugu, before she was accepted by the ESUT Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu.
On this note, we commend the Enugu State Government for not joining issues with the so-called daughter of the woman who deliberately did not write her name, in her immoral, insensitive and baseless vituperations against the state and integrity of our medical profession (if truly she was the one that wrote the mischievous letter to the governor, trending on social media).
It is disheartening that when we expected her and other family members of the woman, to show gratitude to the state government and the medical personnel for accepting to treat their rejected mother, under such intense panic and anxiety over the suspected spread of the deadly COVID-19 in the state, it was not forthcoming.
We also feel bad to note that the so-called daughter of the woman, who admitted her mother had multiple ailments, mischievously alleged that her “mother died due to the negligence and unpreparedness of the state in putting adequate facilities, including staff training in place”. We therefore state categorically that this allegation is false, mischievous and a clear case of ingratitude.
Nothing can be farther from the truth…
Because of these acts of mischief and ingratitude aimed at undermining the efforts our colleagues, other medical personnel and the state government, made to save her mother, we wish to call the attention of the public to the following facts that must have been largely responsible for the death of the patient…
We learnt that the 70-year old woman was promptly received and interviewed by doctors without any form of stigmatization from them or other health workers.
She was having problem of cough and fever. Being a returnee from Europe qualified her to be a suspected case of COVID-19, which incidentally was NEGATIVE after the investigative result came out.
Also, it was said that she had hypertension, sugar issues and kidney disease which were poorly managed before her admission at the isolation centre. Her personal doctor, a specialist at the ESUTH Parklane, was also contacted and later went to the Isolation Centre with two other specialists to see this woman.
Some important tests were done which showed the woman’s blood level was very low, hence needing transfusion.
THE SON EVEN REFUSED TO DONATE BLOOD BUT BLOOD WAS SOURCED OUTSIDE AND LATER GIVEN TO THE WOMAN.
These doctors and laboratory workers even collected sample from the throat of the woman for the main Corona virus test, hence there was
NO STIGMATISATION as the writer claimed.
We all should remember that the NCDC said the result will be out by Monday, but the result came out on Sunday evening. Hence there was NO DELAY in laboratory test. This result was said to be negative for corona virus. It was also noted that the woman was said not to have complained of neglect as the whole health-care workers were with her until the time of her death.
Where was the daughter all this while the mother was sick and being managed. It will be candid of us to know that where the woman was managed was clean and not the picture that is circulating as seen above.
May her soul rest in peace.
Signed:
Chinwe Udeh
Agatha Nnamani
Nkem Eze
Emeka Anene
Peter Udemezue