BY LEVI JOHNSON
Sadly, the coronavirus patient who absconded from the hospital in Kebbi State has eventually died of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jaafaru Mohammed, Commissioner for Health, who also is the chairman State Task Force on COVID-19, on Saturday said the patient is dead.
While giving situation updates on the emergency, he said: “The second case was a patient from the Federal Medical Centre, Birnin Kebbi. He was a 60-year-old man, a known diabetic and hypertensive patient.
” He was brought to the centre from the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital ( UDUTH), Sokoto by his relative
” After reviewing the case by a Consultant, COVID-19 was suspected and our Rapid Response Team swung into action.”
Mohammed said his samples were taken on April 25 but the patient absconded before he was taken to the isolation centre.
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The commissioner lamented the patient died at home on April 26.
Mohammed explained: “The corpse was taken to UDUTH mortuary as against the earlier information given by his family members that, it was taken to Benue State for burial.
” On the 29th of April, 2020, the result turned out to be positive and the contact tracing commenced.”
The Commissioner disclosed the team had traced twelve close contacts and seventeen others.
” Their samples have been taken to the reference laboratory in UDUTH, Sokoto while the Sokoto State Epidomologist and the Management of UDUTH had been informed,” he added.
