COVID-19 patients at the isolation centre Kwadon in Yamaltu-Deba
Local Government Area (LGA) of Gombe State, have on Tuesday
protested over what they described as a lack of proper attention to
their medical conditions outside COVED-19.
The patients who were over 20 broke loose from the centre and
blocked the Federal highway connecting Gombe to Biu in Borno
state.
According to some of the patients, prior to their admission into
the isolation facility, they were battling some ailment and that
they have not been given medications for the ailments such as ulcer
and others including care for a patient.
Our correspondent gathered from an eyewitness at that a female
patient who had a wound as a result of injection abscess complained
that for the past three days, the medical personnel had refused to
dress the wound.
The patients also alleged that, the state task force on COVID-19
went on air claiming that it fed each of them on half chicken daily
while it was not true.
However, in a swift reaction, the state Commissioner of
Information Ibrahim El-Hassan Kwami, admitted that there was a
protest and it was predicated on three issues. He said, the first
issue bordered around isolating the patients at the centre with no
drugs or medication being administered on them. He revealed that
they knew that it was because none of them was symptomatic: There
was no way anybody could be given drug without showing any
symptoms.”
He said the second issue was, they had been isolated while their
families at home had not been taken care of which he said was
unreasonable. It would be more reasonable if they talked about
their personal welfare, not family, they have gone too far in that
regard, he said.
While urging the patients to be calm that the task force will do
everything possible to address their grievances, the information
commissioner said: “The third issue was that one of the patients
was having an ailment which they were not comfortable sharing
bathroom with.”
Also, chairman of the task force committee, Prof. Idris
Mohammed, revealed that the bad news was that, the protesters who
had tested positive for the virus had gone out of isolation
facility to meet with people of the community.
He said with 92 confirmed cases Gombe was yet to record any
community transmission of the disease. However, he said with
Tuesday’s development in Kwadon the state would be faced with the
dangers unrestricted spread.
Our correspondent also gathered from the task force that the
protest by the COVID-19 patients was not limited to the isolation
centre Kwadon, as patients in the isolation ward of the Federal
Teaching Hospital (FTH) also broke loose tying to go home.
The patients who also protested on the premises of the ward
alleged lack of good welfare for but both the patients and their
caregivers.
Our correspondent learnt from someone at the ward that the
protesters were protesting against claims officials of the State
Government made on the radio program that the patients were been
feed on half chicken every day.
COVID-19 patients at the isolation centre Kwadon in Yamaltu-Deba
Local Government Area (LGA) of Gombe State, have on Tuesday
protested over what they described as a lack of proper attention to
their medical conditions outside COVED-19.
The patients who were over 20 broke loose from the centre and
blocked the Federal highway connecting Gombe to Biu in Borno
state.
According to some of the patients, prior to their admission into
the isolation facility, they were battling some ailment and that
they have not been given medications for the ailments such as ulcer
and others including care for a patient.
Our correspondent gathered from an eyewitness at that a female
patient who had a wound as a result of injection abscess complained
that for the past three days, the medical personnel had refused to
dress the wound.
The patients also alleged that, the state task force on COVID-19
went on air claiming that it fed each of them on half chicken daily
while it was not true.
However, in a swift reaction, the state Commissioner of
Information Ibrahim El-Hassan Kwami, admitted that there was a
protest and it was predicated on three issues. He said, the first
issue bordered around isolating the patients at the centre with no
drugs or medication being administered on them. He revealed that
they knew that it was because none of them was symptomatic: There
was no way anybody could be given drug without showing any
symptoms.”
He said the second issue was, they had been isolated while their
families at home had not been taken care of which he said was
unreasonable. It would be more reasonable if they talked about
their personal welfare, not family, they have gone too far in that
regard, he said.
While urging the patients to be calm that the task force will do
everything possible to address their grievances, the information
commissioner said: “The third issue was that one of the patients
was having an ailment which they were not comfortable sharing
bathroom with.”
Also, chairman of the task force committee, Prof. Idris
Mohammed, revealed that the bad news was that, the protesters who
had tested positive for the virus had gone out of isolation
facility to meet with people of the community.
He said with 92 confirmed cases Gombe was yet to record any
community transmission of the disease. However, he said with
Tuesday’s development in Kwadon the state would be faced with the
dangers unrestricted spread.
Our correspondent also gathered from the task force that the
protest by the COVID-19 patients was not limited to the isolation
centre Kwadon, as patients in the isolation ward of the Federal
Teaching Hospital (FTH) also broke loose tying to go home.
The patients who also protested on the premises of the ward
alleged lack of good welfare for but both the patients and their
caregivers.
Our correspondent learnt from someone at the ward that the
protesters were protesting against claims officials of the State
Government made on the radio program that the patients were been
feed on half chicken every day.