COVID-19: Borno Awaits NCDC Complementarity Confirmation on Death Of Patient Who Tested Positive at UMTH Saturday

The Chairman of the high powered committee on prevention and control of COVID -19 disease in Borno state who is also the State Deputy Govenror , Alhaji Usman Umar Kadafur told newsmen on Sunday in an interview after a three hour closed door meeting with the members of the committee and collaborating partners to review situation reports of covid-19 in the state capital Maiduguri and it's environs that the committee awaits Complementarity test to confirm the test already carried out on the dead patient who tested positive on covid-19.

He aded that the committee has put all mechhnery and measures in place to ensure that the covid-19 disease does not spread within the state capital and it's environ.

The Deputy Govenror further said that there was no plan for total shut down of the state capital, Maiduguri city but advised the people to adhere to the rules and orders given to them by the Governemnts on how to prevent the spread of the disease.

He noted that whatever the circumstances, there are procedures and technicalities involved in testing covid-19 which are in stages and the final result must come from the NCDC in Abuja or Lagos which the Borno committee on COVID-19 now awaits the outcome of the samples from Abuja.

The Chairman however urged the Public not to panic and should continue to maintain the rules given to them on how to prevent the spread of the disease.

Some nurses and out-patient in the hospital where the deceased was admitted and treated before he passed away told newsmen in an interview: "we were at the hospital when he was brought in to the ward. We were here with him and a doctor called Dr. Ahmed who was checking him regularly. We even had a misunderstanding with the doctor when he was pressurising us to look after him with some kind of speciality because he works with the MSF".

"They were busy attending to him tiil he died. We could not understand what was going on and why such attention and priority was given to him by his colleagues MSF and UMTH staff.

"Our CMD and other consultants were all going up and down on the matter, trying to see how a solution could be proffered on the dead patient who was tested in our presence and his remains still kept at the mortuary uptil now. It has not been given to his family as alleged or rumoured in town that the families of the deceased took his corpse away".

"We are now in God's hand. They told all of us to remain here. That we should not move an inch out of the ward or hospital because they will come and test us also.

"So, please join us in prayers. Only God will save us. The whole issue is very confusing because a big NGO on humanitarian activities in the state is directly aftected or involved. The dead patient is their staff, MSF and was in Pulka before they brought him few days ago to UMTH.

"And instead of them to take him to the Isolation Unit, they brought him directly into the medical ward II which was dangerous. Although, in a statement, MSF claimed ignorance of his infection and said they never knew he was a suspected covid-19 patient till after his death when he was suspected and his corpse was tested and it turned out to be positive for covid-19 ".

This informed the reason why his sample was again sent to NCDC for verification and confirmation while measures have been taken by the Commissioner to control the situation and prevent the spread of the disease in collaboration with others.