Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Delta State on Wednesday recorded another COVID-19 death, bringing the number of deaths recorded so far in the state to six out of 28 confirmed cases of the disease.
Twelve patients have successfully been discharged after they tested negative, leaving the state with ten active cases of the novel coronavirus disease.
Confirming the news in a press release Wednesday, Commissioner for Health Dr Mordi Ononye identified the latest death as a 78-year-old male patient who was referred from a private hospital in Warri, in an unconscious condition, to the COVID-19 Treatment Centre at Central Hospital, also in Warri.
He said the patient had been in the private hospital for days before he was referred to the treatment centre where he died within three hours of his arrival.
Dr Ononye said since the index case of COVID-19 was detected on April 7th, the state has recorded a total of 28 cases of the 425 persons so far tested.
He explained that five of the recorded deaths were between 47 and 78 years of age and they all had one pre-existing illness or the other, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension and chronic liver or kidney disease.
Explaining further, the commissioner said one of the deaths was that of a young man of 20 years who had been suffering from blood cancer and anaemic heart failure that had him visit the hospital frequently for treatment, including for blood transfusions.
‘It is obvious from the recorded deaths that the most vulnerable persons among us are those who have pre-existing illnesses and are elderly. They, therefore, need special protection, first, by themselves and then by the public,’ Dr Ononye stated.
The health commissioner stressed that as strategic partners of the state government in the containment of the spread of COVID-19, private healthcare providers are strongly enjoined to have a high index of suspicion with all patients.
He stated that suspected cases should be promptly referred to government treatment or holding facilities for further evaluation in order not to lose time in determining the COVID-19 status of the patients.
‘All healthcare providers, public and private, must observe standard precautions in their approach to all patients so that they can relate to the patients confidently and treat all of them with the dignity the patients deserve.
‘The Delta State Government is doing everything possible to protect Deltans from the COVID-19 pandemic and we plead for the cooperation of all Deltans to defeat the virus,” he said.