Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, has said that Mrs Susan Idoko, the index case of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Benue State who was transferred to Abuja’s, has refused to take the third test that will certify her fit to go home.
According to him, despite meeting all her demands to see all her results, she has continued to come up with impossible requests.
The minister was responding to a question on why Idoko has to go through a third test.
He said: “The one about the lady at the National Hospital who we have been engaging with, has refused to take the third.
“The history I think is already known that she came in from the UK and has had three tests, she is due for another test which she has refused to take.
“We strongly believe that by now she’s definitely negative but we need to document it because we also work with it guidelines released by World Health Organization which we follow but in order to document it, I called her on phone and persuaded her to just let them take the test and she gave me the condition that first, they must give her all her results from the past then she will agree just to take a specimen.
“Those of you here who have done it know how simple it is and I gave the instruction. They took all her results, photocopied all of them and gave them to her.
“But on the day of the test when NCDC got there, she told them she wanted the test to be taken by World Health Organization and then the test should not be done in Nigeria, it should be sent to the UK to go and do the test.
“That seems to be a very difficult order and it demands that it should be taken to the UK and that the specimen must only be taken by the WHO. So it is becoming a very hot drama.
“It was reported to me so I called her again and asked her why have you changed the conditions? You said you wanted your results, you have your results and she wrote a text to me saying I should consult her lawyer that she has gotten a lawyer, so that was just yesterday. So we are going to continue with the lawyer business.
“But is only just a document that she’s okay and to live on, it seems to be a drama that is playing out there.
“So that is the situation with the lady but she’s quite well, she’s in good health and the hospital authorities have also done their very best.”
Ehanire also said that no new infections of health workers have been reported in recent times; adding that those who have recovered are waiting for certification to resume work.
PTF National Coordinator, Sani Aliyu, on his part said the Madagascar cure will be subjected to the normal regulatory processes that we have, to establish the drug’s efficacy and safety.