As the world battles with coronavirus pandemic, people in most countries are turning to their governments and public health care systems to battle the pandemic. In Nigeria, it is a different scenario with our public health care system suffering from decay, long term attention and underfunding. Many Nigerians are suspicious of the country's efforts to battle the Covid-19 disease which is creating complications for health authorities to grapple with as the cases soar higher.


The case statistics as of close of day May 8 stood at 3,912 cases with 117 deaths and 679 recoveries, according to the NCDC. The figure represents 386 new cases. This comes

The major turn of event has seen many Convid 19 patients running away from isolation centres risking continuity in the community transmission of the disease. Several cases as been reported in some of the states in Nigeria.

The very first claim of patients fleeing isolation centres in Nigeria was reported on April 4 in Osun state. Six patients from a cluster of COVID-19 cases who had just returned to the south western state of Osun from Cote D’ Ivoire via road, reportedly escaped quarantine. Hours later, the state claimed that only one coronavirus patient was missing and had been tracked down already.

On April 26, two residents of Borno also escaped from the state’s isolation center hours after testing positive for COVID-19. Two days later, the state reported that one of the runaway patients didn’t really escape, but had left the facility to self-isolate. This was made known in a statement released by the Honourable Commisioner of the state,Alhaji Babakura Abba-Jato that the said lady brought herself in a very responsible and medically professional manner which was highly commendable and was not notified to come back after been tested negative to the virus. The second patient is still yet to be traced after switching off his phone when contacted.

You will recall also that the Kano state CONVID-19 coordinator, Mr.Tijani Hussaini, on April 27 announced that three persons who tested positive for the virus in the state had run away. He highlighted that the three patients had changed their place of residence, switched off their phones and has already sought the assistance of the security personnel to track them down.

The Commissioner for Health in the Taraba state and Chairman of the state’s COVID-19 technical committee, Dr Innocent Vakkai on May 3 announced a manhut of a fleeing CONVID-19 patient in the state. Amidst apprehension in the state, he gave the name of the patient (Talatu Idris) and urged the member of the state to be very vigilant.

On May 6, Oyo state Governor, Seyi Makinde, announced that two COVID-19 patients had absconded isolation centre possibly to their places of residence. On that same day, the Bauchi state Deputy Governor, Baba Tela, announced that authorities were hot on the heels of a COVID-19 patient who had fled the isolation ward.



Subsequent cases has also been recorded in Delta and Gombe. This brings us to the discussion on why these patients are fleeing the isolation centres despite the government boast of providing good facilities to care for these patients.

Stigmatization

It is no doubt that Nigerians are not that enlightened about the virus. An average Nigerian believes having tested for coronavirus is a death threat and this has been proved not to be so as only those with underlying health condition barely manage to survive it.

The victims of this virus also fears how the public will perceive them before or after their battle with the pandemic. An average Nigerian will surely treat these patients like a plague and won't want to have anything to do with them.

This is more evident from the statement of Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, said last Friday that many people who tested positive for coronavirus were running away from being taken to isolation centres for treatment. In his statement, he said when people are tested positive to the virus, an ambulance is sent to the community and these people will flee their homes and make it difficult for NCDC officials to trace them.



Poor Conditions

It is no doubt that our health sector is in jeopardy and need a miraculous revamp. In a country where her Senior Executives members fly out to abroad to seek for medical attention leaving the public health care system into shambles, it is no doubt the effect will tell in the fight against the pandemic.

There has been videos flying over on internet on some of the in-patients complaining of the gruesome treatment in these isolation camps. For example, in Lagos, an angry coronavirus patient at the Lagos state Isolation centre attempted to escape, citing its terrible nature as a justification of his action. Even some top officials at the centres agreed that the poor state of the centres are unbearable. You will recall that the index case also complained of severe heat and mosquitoes.

It was reported on May 5 that coronavirus patients at an isolation centre in the Kwadon community in Yamaltu Deba local government area of Gombe state, broke out of the facility to stage angry protests.

The patients barricaded the Gombe-Biu road, a highway linking Gombe with neighbouring Borno, to express their dissatisfaction with the quality of care on offer while chanting anti-government songs.

Meanwhile in the capital of Niger State, Minna; patients at a government treatment facility threatened to discharge themselves citing poor treatment. This will be the second state to record such an incident in days coming after the incidence at Gombe State.

Lack of Trust

An average Nigerian do not trust all the programmes the government has put in place. During the earlier surge of the virus, we heard about cases of private hospitals attending to rich individuals suffering from coronavirus. This is because our public health care sector has decayed with no proper and modern equipment which can aid in treating these patients. Most of the well to do individuals tried to abscond from the public health care to the private sector where they think they will be in the right hands with proper care.

It was uncovered lately that six private health facilities in Lagos had been secretly attending to rich Coronavirus patients. Famous amongst is the First Cardiology Consultants Hospital, Ikoyi, where late Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari, was treated for the virus until his death. The others are St.Edwards, Hospital, Ajah, Vedic Life care Hospital, Lekki, Premier Specialist Hospital, Victoria Island, St Nicholas Hospital, and County Hospital, Ogba, Lagos.

The rich are also absconding to get adequate care elsewhere aside from government provision despite the insistence of Federal Government that private hospitals should steer clear of treating coronavirus patients.

Hunger

It is no doubt that at these isolation centers, the patients are bereft of families and loved ones to cater for their needs and foods. The government has shouldered this responsibility to provide foods for these in-patients.

Reports has been flying in that most of these patients complains that they are not provided with food at all or at the right time. They are been made a prisoner in the name of treating them for cure.

In one of the videos of patients protesting, a female was heard saying;

‘’We that are fasting and those that are not fasting are fed at the same time. It is about 5:00pm and they are just serving us lunch. This is not fair! They are infringing on our rights,” she said in Hausa.

Another said only Vitamin C drug had been given to him since he got to the centre earlier in the week.

In conclusion, Nigeria with all the cases of fleeing isolated patients are at very high risk, and liable to be stuck combating the COVID-19 outbreak for a very long time. We call on our government to come up with good plan and provide us with quality health care services as well as a conducive environment at these isolation centers all over the country.

If an isolated patient does not feel safe, he or she will leave at the risk of spreading the virus, which could be chaotic for the country in the long run.

Source: https://www.operanewsapp.com/ng/en/share/detail?news_id=c141876b0a6d4c938545e40bc7663892&news_entry_id=s55bfafd3200509en_ng&open_type=transcoded&request_id=PUSH_ENTRY_NEWS_9e7e740c-db83-4f9b-9953-c78f58d82af9&from=unknown