Godwin Udoh, Asaba
It was drama galore as family members forcefully removed a COVID -19 patient, Mr. Michael Nwachukwu Mordi, 53, from the treatment centre at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), in Asaba, Delta State capital.
It was gathered that on June 1, 2020 around 6:00pm, seven hungry-looking men, claiming Mr. Mordi’s relatives, stormed the medical centre threatening to hurt anyone who tried to stop them.
The seven family members were said to be without coveralls, but forcefully removed Mr. Mordi from the treatment centre claiming he (Mordi) had fever and not Coronavirus.
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Report said that Michael Mordi, who is the Chief Nursing Officer in Centre Hospital, Agbor, was exposed while treating COVID -19.
The patient reportedly died some weekd ago in Agbor.
It was gathered that ever since Mr. Mordi was tested positive to COVID-19 and taken to the treatment centre, he had been uncooperative with officials.
Commissioner for Health in Delta State, Dr. Mordi Ononye, disclosed this in a statement made available to the Nigerian Xpress, in Asaba, saying that Mr. Mordi tested positive to the virus on May 23, 2020, and was admitted into the COVID-19 Treatment Centre, Federal Medical Center, Asaba on May 24, 2020.
The Commissioner added that since the admission of Mr. Mordi, he had been very aggressive and continually threatened the care-givers and also rejected his medications.
Furthermore, it was revealed that at 6:00pm on June 1, against all medical advice, Mr. Mordi, obviously consenting, was forcefully removed from the treatment centre by the supposed relatives without any PPE on them.
Dr. Ononye stated that the men, therefore, constituted a danger to their own health and that of populations and communities with which they come in contact.
Dr. Ononye used the medium to alert the public about the public health danger of associating with the patient and with those who have exposed themselves to him.
The statement strongly advised that the said patient be returned to the treatment center for proper care and that those who have already been exposed to him should immediately go into supervised self-quarantine for the next 14 days.
Dr. Ononye, however, reiterated that the COVID-19 pandemic was real and enjoined the general public to continue to observe all published preventive protocols such as frequent hand-washing with soap, water, alcohol-based hand sanitiser and use of face masks in public places.
He called on residents to as much as possible avoid crowded places and always maintain physical distancing of at least 6 feet.
According to the Commissioner, persons who have fever, cough or difficulty with breathing, should visit the nearest government hospital for proper assessment and possible testing.
