The Akwa Ibom State Government has shut down a private hospital in the state after its medical director died showing symptoms of the coronavirus.
The hospital, San Dominique Hospital, is located in Uyo.
Dominic Essien, the medical director of the hospital, “was sick with a week history of fever, cough and shortness of breath” before he was rushed to the Ibom Specialist Hospital, Uyo, where he passed on a few weeks ago, the Chairman of the Akwa Ibom branch of the Nigerian Medical Association, Nsikak Nyoyoko, said on Thursday.
“With the symptoms elucidated above, a suspicion of COVID-19 was entertained and he had his sample taken awaiting transportation to the laboratory for COVID-19 testing,” Mr Nyoyoko added.
During an interview with the Commissioner for Information in Akwa Ibom state, Charles Udoh, on Monday, asked the commissioner what the government was doing about shutting down San Dominique Hospital.
“Have you been to the hospital today?” Mr Udoh responded. “We’ve done what we need to do.”
The hospital was under lock when reporters visited on Wednesday evening.
The Case Management Committee, Akwa Ibom State COVID-19 Taskforce, said in a statement that Mr Essien, 50, was self-medicating in his hospital with anti-malaria, antibiotic, and antihypertensive, and was also administering oxygen on himself before he was taken to the Ibom Specialist Hospital by a doctor-colleague and friend.
The statement was signed by Etete Peters, a pulmonologist and the head of the case management committee, and Emmanuel Ekanem, the chief medical director of the Ibom Specialist Hospital.
The committee advised residents of the state to call COVID-19 helpline in the state if they have any symptoms of the coronavirus. “The (state) government has provided adequate modern health care facilities to take care of most of the health challenges, including COVID-19,” it added.
