31st May, 2020
By Isaiah Eka
The Akwa Ibom Government said it has discharged two COVID-19 patients from the Ibom Specialist Hospital isolation centre, Uyo.
The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dominic Ukpong disclosed this while briefing newsmen on Sunday in Uyo.
Ukpong said the two discharged patients had met the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) protocol standard of two negative tests before being discharged.
He said that the two discharged patients bring to 16, the total number of those treated and discharged of the viral infection since the first set of cases were recorded on April 1, 2020.
“Gov. Udom Emmanuel has expended so much in healthcare delivery and in emergency operations, and that accounts for the 100 percent recovery rate currently being experienced in the state.
“The magnificent 300-bed facility that the governor put up at Ituk Mbang is going to complement the services provided in the earlier facilities provided at Ikot Ekpene and Ibom Specialist Hospital,” Ukpong said.
According to him, the activities of persons, who sneaked into the state under the guise of bringing livestock and other food items, might to be accounted for the high figures recorded in the past few days.
Ukpong said the increased number of cases in the state had also increased the contacts currently being traced.
He commended the health management officials for being responsive and dedicated to their duties.
The commissioner revealed that there had been cases of people arriving at the COVID -19 emergency center with other symptoms because of the free treatment offered by the state government.
“People with ulcer, diabetes and other medical conditions other than COVID-19 do approach the center and when we examine them and find out that it is not coronavirus, they start pleading that we should take them in because of the attention we give our patients.
“Some even ask for palliative, but people must know that those emergency lines are strictly for COVID-19 emergencies,” he said.
Ukpong noted that the state had so far recorded two COVID-19 deaths, from a total of 45 confirmed cases by the NCDC.
He advised the residents to adhere to the NCDC protocol of personal hygiene, regular washing of hands with soap under running water, use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer and social distancing to stay safe.