No fewer than 11 health workers, including four doctors and three nurses at the Randle General Hospital, Surulere, Lagos State, have been tested for the COVID-19 infection after having contact with a patient.

A source at the hospital said two other doctors, said to be secondary contacts of the deceased patient, would be tested in a few days’ time.

The PUNCH had exclusively reported that a 65-year-old woman, identified as Iyabo, was admitted to the hospital last Sunday after she complained of difficulty in breathing.

The petty trader, who also had diabetes, was said to have been treated before some doctors insisted that she be tested for the coronavirus.

She was later taken to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi Araba, where she was rejected after the medical officers allegedly said she did not fit a COVID-19 case.

The woman, who was also hypertensive, was returned to Randle where she died.

The ‘Isolation building’ where the COVID-19 patient received treatment.
Apprehensive workers at the hospital were informed last Friday that the result of the NCDC test confirmed that she was positive.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Mr Gbenga Omotosho, had said 13 medical personnel had contact with the woman.

He assured that they would be tested on Monday.

Our source on Monday said the tests had been done, adding that results were being awaited.

Asked if the affected workers had been isolated, the source said they were told to continue working against the protocol of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control.

“Eleven health workers, who were deemed to be primary contacts, did the test on Monday. Among them were four doctors and three nurses. There are two other doctors that are secondary contacts and they said they will do their tests later. All of us are praying for them that the result will be negative.

“But the surprising thing is that instead of isolating them till the result of the tests, they are asking them to continue working. It appears like they have politicised everything,” the source said.

Another source told The PUNCH on Thursday that the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Aduke Odutayo, had just asked all those who went for the test to stay away from work.

“She told us that this morning. However, this is day 10 for some of the affected workers who had been coming to the hospital,” the source said.

After our correspondent recounted the allegations to the MD and sought her reaction, she said she was driving and would call back.

Hours later, she did not call back neither did she take our correspondent’s calls.