By Olukayode Idowu, Maiduguri
The University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) on Sunday discharged six COVID-19 patients.
The six were part of the 24 patients kept at the hospital’s isolation centre after they were initially tested positive to the pandemic, but recent tests gave them a clean bill of health, according to the Chief Medical Director UMTH, Professor Ahmed Ahidjo.
The CMD told journalists that the six patients after the initial test which came positive, has tested negative twice during their time in isolation.
Ahidjo who was represented at the briefing by Dr. Sanusi Ibrahim, the deputy chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, Clinical Services UMTH, Ahidjo disclosed that four out of the six discharged patients are staff of the hospital.
He said for the safety of the health workers, a testing box has been provided by the management which keeps the staff away from having physical contact with patients while collecting samples to conduct tests.
Ahidjo said: “We discovered that in our fight against COVID-19 pandemic, we have made some major strides. The strides are that some patients that were admitted are now free to go home.
“Some people have said that COVID-19 doesn’t exist. That when you come to UMTH with other issues, you would be treated as COVID-19 patient . So we are interested in making people know that it is not so. That indeed we had people who were positive, and today they have tested negative on two consecutive occasions and they are fit and free to go home.”
The Chief Medical Director said: “UMTH is very ready to improve the care of the people not only on the diseases that we all know in the past, but the new COVID-19 pandemic.”
One of the discharged patients, who later shared his experience at the isolation centre to Journalists, said “situation has not been easy there despite the care and love shown to us by the health workers.”
The discharged patient, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said when the sickness started, he thought it was malaria and took three injections for fever, but the malaria persisted and he discovered that he was having sore throat, and from sore throat it moved to diarrhoea.
He said: “I voluntarily decided to go for test and after the test , I was confirmed positive. Right there , I was quarantined and placed under isolation. Today is my 14th day here. I want to thank God and my people for their prayers.
“I want all to know that coronavirus pandemic is real. People should follow the guidelines and procedures against the pandemic.”
