Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Thursday 23rd April 2020
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 23/04/20
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Pastor Arraigned In Court For Raping Teenage Girl In Ondo
A pastor identified as Peter Alatake has been arraigned at the Chief Magistrates Court in Owo, Ondo State, for raping a 16-year-old girl placed under his care for spiritual cleansing.
Alatake, who heads the Holy Ghost Mission Church, Ehinogbe, in Owo area of Ondo State, was said to have committed the act between April 15 to 20 this year.
SaharaReporters gathered that the teenager has been battling with epilepsy for years and was brought to the pastor for a spiritual solution.
The cleric’s alleged offence contravened section 357 and punishable under section 358 of criminal laws of Ondo State.
Counsel to the suspect, Aderemi Adetula, applied for the bail of his client after he pleaded not guilty to the charge brought against him.
In her ruling, Magistrate Olubumi Dosumu granted the cleric bail in the sum of N500, 000 and two sureties in like sum.
The case was adjourned until June 18, 2020 for further hearing following the advice of Directorate of Public Prosecution.
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Policeman Dies Of COVID-19 In Edo
A 57-year-old policeman in Edo has died from complications of Coronavirus, bringing the number of COVID-19 deaths in the state to two.
According to the Commissioner for Health in the state, Patrick Okundia, Edo currently has 15 confirmed cases of COVID-19 of which six are active cases.
He said, “We had an unfortunate situation of a 57-year-old police officer, who passed on yesterday (Tuesday).
“It is not very clear how he got the infection but he developed some illnesses. Initially, there was no evidence of suspicion of Coronavirus disease but when the symptoms started getting worse, he was treated at the police clinic.
“About two days before he died, our surveillance team was called to have a look and it was in that process that they took his sample and sent it to the laboratory, while he continued with his drugs. He was consequently placed on self-isolation.
“However, the result came out positive. Before we could get to his house to move him out, the man had died.”
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BREAKING: NCDC Announced 91 Coronavirus Cases In Nigeria
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has announced 91 new cases of Coronavirus in the country.
In a post on Twitter on Wednesday night, the agency said, “91 new cases of #COVID19 have been reported.
“74 in Lagos, five in Katsina, four in Ogun, two in Delta, two in Edo, one in Kwara, one in Oyo, one in FCT and one in Adamawa.
“As at 11:25pm 22nd April, there are 873 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria.”
According to the NCDC, 197 persons have seen made recoveries from the virus and released to go home while 28 others had lost the battle to the pandemic so far.91 new cases of #COVID19 have been reported;74 in Lagos5 in Katsina4 in Ogun2 in Delta2 in Edo1 in Kwara1 in Oyo1 in FCT1 in AdamawaAs at 11:25 pm 22nd April there are 873 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria.Discharged: 197Deaths: 28 pic.twitter.com/oDazHLpLp0— NCDC (@NCDCgov) April 22, 2020
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E2%80%93minister No Transfer Of Persons Diagnosed With COVID-19 To Other States –Minister
Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, has said that all persons diagnosed with COVID-19 will henceforth be treated in the state where the diagnosis was made.
He said no patient would be referred to his or her state of origin except there was a medical indication to the contrary.
Ehanire said this was to avoid the high risk of exposure of other persons in the course of transfer.
Ehanire made this known at presidential task force briefing on Covid-19 on Wednesday in Abuja.
He also said that Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors, and pharmacists will be forthwith prohibited from attempting to treat persons suspected to be COVID-19 patients or have their operating licenses cancelled
The minister added that private hospitals desiring to manage COVID-19 patients should apply to their state health ministries for permit and must meet standards and be accredited by a FMoH certified team.
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COVID-19: Delta State Announces Two New Coronavirus Cases
The Delta State Government has confirmed SaharaReporters story of a new case of Coronavirus in the state.
Recall that SaharaReporters had on Wednesday reported a new case of Coronavirus in Warri and the victim, a female, is said to be responding to treatment.
Commissioner for Health in the state, Mordi Ononye, announced that the state also recorded another case, thereby making it two new infections in Delta.
Ononye said the new cases brought the total confirmed cases in the state to six, with one death and five active cases, adding that the active cases were being treated at isolation centres in the state.
He said, “All the active cases are in stable condition and receiving treatment from our team of medical professionals at our isolation centres across the state.
“We have 11 persons quarantined in our holding centres, while 140 contacts are being monitored across the state.”
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Borno Records Second COVID-19 Death
Borno State has recorded another death from COVID-19 complications, bringing the number of persons, who have lost their lives in the state to two.
Deputy governor of the state, Umar Kadafur, announced this during a media briefing on Wednesday.
He said, “The deceased was from Biu town, and already his contacts have been traced. One of his contacts is a trader at Biu market.
“Following this development, the state government has ordered the closure of the market for immediate fumigation.
“As of today, 144 contacts had been traced, 55 were tested and nine people tested positive including the two who died.”
The deputy governor said although a 41-year-old patient, who died from COVID-19 is from the state, his death will be under Gombe in NCDC’s update because he tested positive over there.
The patient was said to have been “hit hard by the infection” before he was moved from Gombe to an isolation centre in Maiduguri where he died.
On Sunday, the state recorded its first death from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The deceased, a retired anesthetic nurse, died at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
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JUST IN: Nigerian Governors Agree On Two-week COVID-19 National Lockdown
The 36 state governors in Nigeria have recommended a national lockdown over the next two weeks to further curb the spread of Coronavirus.
The decision was reached at a meeting of the governors on Wednesday.
Chairman of the forum, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, in a statement said the inter-state lockdown had become necessary following a continued rise of in number of infected persons and fatalities recorded.
Fayemi said the governors also resolved to set up COVID-19 committees at the regional level to be headed by health commissioners.
The governors also expressed concern over the rising infection among health workers in the country.
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South Africa Fines Communications Minister For Flouting Lockdown Order
South Africa’s Communications Minister has paid an “admission of guilt” fine for having lunch at a friend’s house during the lockdown, the national prosecuting authority said Wednesday.
Communications and Digital Technologies Minister, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, was placed on special leave earlier this month for flouting a stay-at-home order meant to curb the spread of Coronavirus, AFP reports.
She was suspended after a picture posted on Instagram showed her having lunch at the home of a former deputy minister during the second week of lockdown — which came into force on March 27 and is set to run through to the end of April.
A statement from the National Prosecuting Authority said Ndabeni-Abrahams had paid an admission of guilt fine of 1,000 rands ($53) for failing to confine herself to her home.
Ndabeni-Abrahams has also been summoned to appear before a court next month.
The state alleges her lunch stop was “unlawful” under lockdown regulations, which only allow citizens to leave their homes for groceries, pharmaceuticals and medical appointments.
The minister issued a public apology shortly after President Cyril Ramaphosa placed her on a two-month leave.
To date, South Africa has recorded 3,465 cases of Coronavirus, making it the second worst-affected country on the continent after Egypt.
At least 58 people have died in the former apartheid colony.
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Nigerian Man Who Tested Positive For COVID-19 Escapes Custody, Ghana Police Launch Manhunt
A 46-year-old Nigerian, Simon Okafor Chukwudi, who tested positive for Coronavirus in the Upper West Region of Ghana has bolted.
Chukwudi was among seven confirmed cases in the region, GraphicOnline reports.
He had been kept under surveillance at his residence by officials of the Ghana Health Service awaiting the outcome of his test results for COVID-19, which came out positive last Monday.
According to the Upper West Regional Minister, Hafiz Bin Salih, Okafor absconded when health officials went to his residence to escort him to the regional hospital.
He said on Accra-based radio station, Cifi FM, that when Okafor was approached to be sent to the hospital, he offered to use his motorbike, while the health officials followed him behind and in the process escaped.
He stated, “We are on top of issues. We have seven confirmed cases and all of them are cooperating with us; except that yesterday we had the unpleasant situation of one of them absconding.
“He was approached to be sent to the regional hospital to be quarantined and he said he was using his motorbike so he’ll take the lead and they will follow. In the process he escaped.”
Salih appealed to the public especially residents of Wa to help trace the whereabouts of Okafor.
Meanwhile, the Regional Police Commander, DCOP Francis Aboagye Nyarko, said a search party had already been dispatched to hunt for him.
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Lockdown: India Hospitals Count Loses As Nigerian Patients Turn To Local Doctors For Treatment
A nurse in a room with empty hospital beds
A nurse in a room with empty hospital beds
As the Coronavirus pandemic sparks global lockdowns, India and other top destinations for medical tourism by Nigerians are feeling the impact as patients billed for surgeries in the South Asian country are cancelling their plans and seeking care at home, SaharaReporters has learnt.
Medical value travel, which includes patients travelling to India for treatment, is estimated to be $3bn market for India. India has banned all domestic and international commercial flights to contain the spread of Coronavirus.
With no alternative, Nigerian patients billed for elective and emergency surgeries in India and other developed countries are changing their plans and seeking care at home.
The list includes influential Nigerians, top government functionaries and politicians, who patronise foreign hospitals for medical care.
In separate interviews with Nigerian medical doctors on how the pandemic was affecting medical tourism, SaharaReporters gathered that private hospitals were witnessing more patronage as doctors recommend care at home to patients, who had planned to get medical services abroad.
“Even here in Maiduguri, some surgeries have been suspended. Those patients cannot travel abroad now because of the lockdown. Some can’t eat while some can’t pass stool,” a doctor at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital told SaharaReporters on Wednesday.
Thousands of miles away in India, stakeholders in the healthcare sector are feeling the heat; they are worried about the loss this portends for the Indian economy.
“The geographies from where our patients arrive – Africa, Central Asia and most of West Asia – are still in early stages of Coronavirus.
“There, the cycle may last even longer as they started late. Thus, to expect business to start back in one month is a distant dream,” Dr Abhik Moitra, President of HBG Medical Assistance, one of the medical tourism industry players, told IndiaTimes in a recent interview.
Moitra predicted the industry would suffer heavily for the next six months and may take even longer for patients to find the courage to travel again to India.
A medical doctor at the National Hospital, Abuja, who spoke with SaharaReporters on the condition of anonymity, believes there was nothing to worry about as Nigerian patients needing emergency care can still get quality medical services at home.
He said, “There are different categories of medical intervention that people may need. Let’s say the Nigerian airport was functional, they (patients) just get into an air ambulance and are moved out of the country.
“With this lockdown that may be a bit difficult. But, there are just a few emergencies that cannot be attended to in Nigeria, especially in Abuja and Lagos.
“These two cities have hospitals that are equipped to handle any kind of emergency, except vascular surgeries, renal transplant and some cardiology procedures. Sometimes, the hospitals bring in those doctors to come and perform those surgeries in Nigeria.
“There are just a few emergencies that may take the life of a person because we don’t have those services in Nigeria. Those who go abroad, who have paid for surgeries and other expenses, might suffer but then generally, emergencies and surgeries can be done in Nigeria, especially Abuja and Lagos.”
Professor of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, and immediate past President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Mike Ogirima, shed more light on the challenges and how it was impacting the health system in Nigeria while speaking with SaharaReporters.
He said, “We classify surgery into two: emergency and elective surgeries. Elective surgeries can wait till the condition improves and while waiting; we use the waiting period to prepare the patients. Those should wait until after the lockdown.
“For the emergency, you treat every patient that comes to you as an emergency as if they are positive and that we have been doing with patient with other infectious diseases that need surgery. Of course, affluent patients may elect to seek the second option outside the country and except that patient has a visa, it takes time and still boils down to elective surgery, which can still wait. I can’t think of any surgery that can’t be done in the country now. Any emergency surgery that is needed in this country can be carried out to save the lives of the patient.”
Ogirima said he hoped that the health system after COVID-19 pandemic would improve, adding that the inability of patients to travel abroad now should encourage government to transform Nigeria’s healthcare.
The ex-NMA President said it was obvious that Nigeria was not prepared for the pandemic.
He added, “All our advocacy shouts have not yielded results as many state governments have not been listening to advice from professional groups. With what we have seen, Nigerians know that we don’t have enough capacity, in terms of resources, funding, human resources and equipment; we are way down the ladder.
“Apart from getting more primary healthcare centre functional, all state governments should be more responsive to their citizens.
“The idea of having general hospitals in those days, which are the secondary level of healthcare, has been abandoned by the state government.
“Everybody now leaves the rural areas, jumping the referral system, straight to the tertiary healthcare centres, which are the teaching hospitals or federal medical centres owned by the federal government. This should not be so.”
Other doctors, who spoke with SaharaReporters, advised patients unable to travel abroad owing to the lockdown to discuss with their doctors in Nigerians as they might be able to recommend other people to do those procedures in the country.
“There are doctors who can do renal transplant and neurosurgery. It’s about getting information from your Nigerian doctor and you‘ll be referred to the appropriate hospitals, which, most times, are private facilities.
“Some of these hospitals have in-house expatriates from India, Pakistan, and other countries that are here in Nigeria,” a doctor at the National Hospital said.
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