‘Cross River Govt has abandoned my sick wife after she contracted Covid-19 in the line of duty,’ cries out man

[From ANIEKAN ANIEKAN, Calabar]

Member, Governing board, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Mr. Cletus Obun, has cried out for help as he claims his wife, a medical laboratory scientist with the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) in Calabar has been abandoned by the Cross River State Government after she contracted the Covid-19.

Obun, also a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Cross River State, who made this disclosure in Calabar said his wife who is a laboratory scientist contracted the virus in the line of duty.

Narrating his ordeal, Obun said: “My wife, Mrs. Glory Obun has been abandoned by the Cross River State health authorities. She is a frontline health worker at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), Calabar.

“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.

“On November 26, my wife felt unwell and suspended COVID. She went to her colleagues for 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 on the people she was going meet there.

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

“She went to Teaching Hospital and at the center, 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 for COVID-19.

“I asked what the authorities have done and she said nobody was talking to her. I had to call the NCDC center 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 center 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.

“My wife has been subjected to personal treatment from the family. Up till now that I speak, my wife has developed other complications and is now in a critical condition in a private facility.

He stated further that, the health authorities in Cross River have not bothered to talk or do anything.

She said his wife can’t fly out of Calabar because of her condition.

Speaking further, Obun who is a foundation member of the APC said “I just arrived Calabar and I spoke with the doctor who told me that there are a lot of tests that would be run because she has developed other complications.

“That means my wife is in danger and the health authorities in Cross River State are doing absolutely nothing.

“If this is happening to a Frontline worker what will happen to other members of the public? Let me raise this alarm: there is no center for covid-19 and no care for Covid-19 victims in Cross River.

“I am yet to know what the health authorities in the state are doing about my wife,” he narrated.

Obun alleged that there is no medical record to show Covid-19 cases in the state, and pleaded with the state government to do something about his wife.

The officials of the state Ministry of Health have yet to respond to this allegation as at press time.