Obinna Odogwu, Awka

Anxiety is mounting at Adazienu community in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State following the declaration by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) that COVID-19 index case has been recorded in the state.

The patient, who the state government said has been placed under care at one of its Protective Care Centres, it was gathered, reportedly had contact with many people in Adazienu community.

A concerned native of the community released a voice note, claiming that the index case (name withheld) had mingled with many people, including those who visited him to seek financial help.

But speaking with Sunday Sun from his isolation centre in Onitsha, the suspected patient alleged that the state government was plotting to kill him by starvation.

He alleged that the state government wanted him dead as he was dumped at the isolation centre since 3:00a.m on Saturday without food, drug and any form of comfort till the moment he spoke with our reporter at about 2:39p.m yesterday.

The patient said: “I don’t have Coronavirus. Government is claiming that I have COVID-19. Let them come here and conduct test.

“The true situation is that the government of Anambra State wants to kill me. I have no business with them. I am in the hospital. I don’t know about Coronavirus.

“And I have been here since 3:00a.m. I was not given any food or water. I was not also given any treatment. What type of government is that? Is an individual a government? It is the masses that are government. I have been here since 3 O’clock in the morning. And I am here with my child”, he stated.

The man insisted that he had no COVID-19 as he had been diagnosed, treated and discharged last Friday only to be told moments later that he had tested positive to Coronavirus disease.

“My ailment has been diagnosed in the hospital and I have been treated and discharged. They conducted tests. That was seven days ago and I was discharged yesterday (referring to Friday).

“Later on they came with some papers and said that I tested positive. Is it their father or their mother that tested positive? They kept me here since 3 O’clock and dispersed”, he lamented.

Press further to speak on what took him to the hospital in the first place considering the prevailing situation, he told our correspondent to visit him at his isolation centre in Onitsha.

“I said if you want to ask me questions, come to where I am in Onitsha so that I can see you. I don’t want to talk to anybody again (on phone). If anybody wants to ask me questions, let the person come here and see me. I am angry”, he fumed.

But reacting to his claims, the state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, C. Don Adinuba, said that the patient was confirmed to have tested positive for COVID-19.

He also said that he was being properly taken care of at the centre, adding that all his contacts, including the doctors, nurses, his relations and others would be quarantined alongside with him.

He said that already, the patient’s son and driver have been isolated and were being closely monitored.

Adinuba said: “How can he say that he doesn’t have the virus? The thing read positive. We did not even know. The result came from NCDC.

“He was given food at 10:45a.m. He was given a special kind of food; not ordinary food. He took his drugs at about 8:00a.m”, he said.

Adinuba said that all his contacts, including the doctors, nurses, relatives and other persons he came in contact with would be quarantined.