How C’River Government Abandoned Frontline Health Worker After Contracting COVID19

Cross River State government has been accused of abandoning a staff in the ministry of health, Glory Obun, after contracting the deadly COVID19.

According to the husband of the woman, Mr Cletus Obun, the life of his wife is hanging in the balance as he has no money to treat her.

Speaking per agency reports, Obun said his wife, a laboratory scientist with the Infectious Disease Hospital in Calabar, contracted COVID-19 but has since been abandoned by health officials in the state.

“My wife, Mrs Glory Obun has been abandoned by the Cross River State health authorities. She is a frontline worker at the Infectious Disease Hospital, Calabar,” he alleged.

He said, “A medical lab scientist, she works in the IDH laboratory and that laboratory is the one that handles all COVID-19 tests in the state.”

Explaining how it all began, he said, “On November 26, my wife felt unwell and suspected COVID. She went to her colleagues for a test and came out positive, after which she reported to the head of the place.

“The first reaction of the hospital was to ask her to go to the teaching hospital to seek assistance. My wife was made to leave without considering the danger to the people she was going to meet there.

“One would have expected that she should have been immediately isolated and put up for treatment. She was abandoned and left to go and seek assistance and cure by herself.”

He further said, “She went to the teaching hospital and at the centre she was told that it was a Friday and that she will not be treated until Monday, November 29.

“She left and isolated herself in her personal room in the house. She called me on the night of Friday, to tell me that she was feeling unwell and that she had tested positive for COVID.

“I asked what the authorities had done and she said nobody was talking to her. I had to call the NCDC centre in Abuja. They responded by giving the number of the contact person in Cross River.

“When I got in touch with the contact person in Cross River, I was given the name of the doctor in charge of the centre at the teaching hospital.

“Now, I didn’t get in touch with him until about 7pm on Saturday night.

“He told me it was late to come to my house and treat her. By this time, my wife was already in severe pain and was having other complications, including losing her breathe.

“I was away in Abuja on an official assignment. On Sunday when the doctor was to come, he said I must deposit N150,000 before he could come to the house. I deposited the entire money with him. He then went to the house and commenced treatment and told me that I will be paying for every visit to the house.

“Up till now that I speak, my wife has developed other complications and is now in a critical condition in a private facility.”

Cross River state refused to respond to enquiries.

The office of the ministry of health, that acts as the warehouse for all government’s health policies also failed to respond to enquiries.

While there have been reported cases of staff abandonment in the past, that of Mrs Obun’s is said to be generating concern.