{"id":16938,"date":"2020-05-29T13:59:44","date_gmt":"2020-05-29T13:59:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/watchdogplusmedia.com\/?p=16938"},"modified":"2020-05-29T13:59:51","modified_gmt":"2020-05-29T13:59:51","slug":"nigeria-records-more-deaths-from-other-diseases-than-covid-19-sgf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/watchdogplusmedia.com\/?p=16938","title":{"rendered":"Nigeria records more deaths from other diseases than COVID-19 \u2013 SGF"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Secretary<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Nigeria has recorded more deaths from hospitals\u2019 refusal to attend to patients with other illnesses than from COVID-19<\/a><\/strong> virus, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, has said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Mustapha while speaking at the daily Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 briefing on Thursday said there have been reports of refusal by some medical institutions to treat patients for fear of contracting the COVID-19 virus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Mustapha, who is also the chairman of the task force, said the action portrayed by these medical institutions is unacceptable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe PTF has received rather sadly, reports of continued refusal by medical institutions to receive and treat patients for fear COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis has resulted in several unfortunate and avoidable fatalities and statistics has shown that there is a drastic drop in the percentage of attention being paid to other ailments not related to COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTruth be told, we are having more deaths from non-attendance to other diseases than even COVID 19,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nigeria has recorded 254 deaths from its over 8,000 coronavirus cases as of Thursday afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Mustapha also said, \u201cFederal tertiary institutions have been mentioned among those rejecting patients for fear of COVID-19.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"CORONAVIRUS:<\/a>
Covid isolation centre, Akwa Ibom. [PHOTO CREDIT: BBC]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Nigerian government has repeatedly warned medical facilities to stop rejecting patients, especially in emergency cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite this warning, many people are reported to have lost their lives due to rejection by health workers when seeking medical attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Workers at risk<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Healthcare workers are at risk of exposure to COVID-19 virus as they are the first responders to patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of April 30, not less than 113 health workers tested positive for COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aliyu Yakubu, a medical doctor aged 60, also died of the virus on April 4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fear of contraction of COVID-19 is what has deterred many health workers from attending to patients who have other illnesses, some with similar symptoms as COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Way forward<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Mr Mustapha said the ministry of health has directed heads of medical institutions to continue providing regular medical services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This, he said, will prevent more avoidable deaths in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n