COVID-19: We Have Three Confirmed Cases — UBTH

In the midst of the anxiety that not less than 25 health workers at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) are on self-isolation to monitor the possibility of contacting COVID-19, as a result, their contact with a patient who was said to have died of the virus, the management of the hospital has said it has so far received three patients who have been confirmed positive with the virus.

This as some members of the public had complained of shortage of water at the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH) which is an essential need for treatment of patients and prevention of the state spread of ailments.

A statement by the Chief Medical Director of UBTH Professor Darlington Obaseki said the two surviving patients out of the three are currently being cared for in an isolation ward with restricted access.

He said “Prior to confirmation of their COVID-19 status, some of our healthcare staff were exposed to these patients whilst using only Personal Protection (surgical face-masks and gloves). Currently, all staff who were exposed to these patients are asymptomatic and they are being monitored closely according to current guidelines.

“Further measures have been put in place to ensure that our staff is not unduly exposed to risks of infection with COVID-19 in the course of their providing care for patients who come to the hospital for various reasons.

Meanwhile in an open letter to the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire signed by the president and Secretary, Board of Trustees of Benin National Congress (BNC), Aiyamenkhue Edokpolo and Hon. Orobosa Omo-Ojo, the group expressed displeasure on the purported shortage of water and basic needs for health workers to work in the hospital which it said was part of the report a fact-finding team is sent to the hospital

“Our appeal becomes inevitable, considering its prime, as a COVID-19 pandemic testing centre for South-South Nigeria, having and still serving as the largest Lassa Fever treatment and research centre in Nigeria certified by the WHO.

“Added to this, our investigators revealed also that necessary hospital consumables are lacking, making the work of doctors, nurses and other paramedics very difficult, with the results that some of the health providers have become infested with COVID-19 and Lassa Fever.”

But when contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Hospital, Odijie Ohue said “There is a regular supply of water up till as I speak to you now so I don’t think they are correct when they say there is the shortage of water in ISTH”