Lagos State government Monday discharged five coronavirus patients at Infectious Disease Centre, Yaba Mainland Hospital, bringing the total of treated and discharged patients of the pandemic to eight.
This was even as New Telegraph learnt that the state government is preparing to receive President Muhammadu Buhari’ Chief of Staff, Mallam Aba Kyari at the centre.
New Telegraph observed that one can hardly recognise the treated Covid-19 patients and other staff of the centre as the patients who had been quarantined at the isolation centre for weeks looked stable, calm and unruffled.
All the treated patients, who pleaded anonymity due to the fear of possible stigmatization, expressed joy and satisfaction over the treatments they received, commending the state government for rescuing their lives.
They appealed to the state government and indeed the Federal Government that consider life insurance for the staff of the Centre who out their lives on lifeline to enable them to get better.
They thanked the State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his support and proactiveness in handling their cases
Speaking with journalists on of the treated patients said:”I came in here on the 15th and after the test showed positive, I was asked to come back the next day. So I was admitted here.
“Initially, there were hitches but it later turned out fine. The health workers did fine, all our challenges were attended to. I’m a living witness together with my other colleagues.”
According to him, Nigeria had what it takes to overcome the pandemic, calling on the people to come out from hiding if they test positive to the virus, saying that the virus could be defeated.
“We can beat it, I want to assure others that this is not their resting place. Encourage yourselves, take your medications and in no distant time, you will get out of here,” he explained.
Another discharged patient allayed fear over the being infected with the virus, saying that that being tested positive to the virus doesn’t connote life sentence.
He said: “I want to appeal to the Federal Government and Lagos State government that, they should remunerate all those workers who have volunteered to work accordingly, so as to serve as encouragement to others,” adding that, “If they are not here as first responders, many people would have died.”
Recounting his experience, another patient said, who also wanted name hidden, said that said that it was necessary to insured the lives of workers at the centre due to the nature of infectious diseases they handle.
According to him,”I was admitted last Sunday. Initially there were challenges, the following day, they brought beds, masks and some equipment.
“Apart from what my colleague said, the workers should be insured. Proper insurance will let people do what they have to do,” he said.
He narrated a scenario where the workers could not attend to him because he tested positive, saying “they went back and I slept off, I woke up around 3 a.m. So they deserve life insurance to encourage them to do their job.”
Meanwhile, it was learnt that efforts had been put in place to receive the Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Aba Kayari and other eminent personalities who had been tested positive to the virus as the state government was set to open the new isolation facilities especially, the newly opened Mobolaji Johnson Arena into use.
