PTF: Abandoning patients with other illnesses over COVID-19 scare has led to more deaths

The presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19 says more deaths have been recorded as a result of health workers neglecting patients with diseases other than COVID-19.

At the briefing of the presidential task force on COVID-19 on Thursday, Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF) and chairman of the PTF, said the committee has received reports of medical institutions refusing to receive patients over fear of COVID-19. 

Mustapha said Osagie Ehanire, minster for health, had directed medical directors of tertiary hospitals to provide regular services to avoid more deaths.

“The PTF has received rather sadly, reports of continued refusal by medical institutions to receive and treat patients for fear COVID-19. This 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,” he said.  

“This situation is made worse by the fact that federal tertiary institutions have been mentioned among those rejecting patients for fear of COVID-19. This not acceptable. We are saddened by this development.

“The minister of health has reached at to all medical directors directing them to continue providing regular medical services so that we do not end up with avoidable deaths. Truth be told, we are having more deaths from non-attendance to other diseases than even COVID-19. 

“The reason for the greater emphasis on COVID-19 is because it is a pandemic and if not curtailed has a capacity of wiping out large segments of our population.

“​The PTF also urge all the chief medical directors and private health service providers to attend to other health challenges, which continue to confront our people on a daily basis. Of course, the guidelines for dealing with patients presenting COVID-19 like symptoms are available and if these are applied by our medical service providers, there would be lesser risks of exposure to the virus.” 

The SGF added that within the next 70 hours, the PTF will conclude its assessment on the impact of the measures put in place to fight COVID-19 and further recommendations would be submitted to the President Muhammadu Buhari for a decision.