Ten doctors at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Kano have contracted coronavirus in the course of administering treatment to patients at the hospital.
This development was confirmed by AKTH chapter Chairman of the Association of Resident Doctors, Dr. Abubakar Nagoma who disclosed that the doctors got infected with the virus while treating patients who had visited the hospital with symptoms for minor cases that would later turn out to be COVID-19 related.
Dr. Nagoma revealed that the infected health officials comprise of some resident doctors undergoing training and consultant doctors. He added that after they were confirmed positive for COVID-19, eight were moved to the isolation centre while the other two commenced self isolation at their homes since they do not have symptoms.
In order to ascertain the status of other members of staff and ensure safety in the hospital, Dr. Nagoma stated that a screening exercise has been conducted for doctors and health workers at the hospital and results are being awaited.
The doctor however lamented that the negligence of patients by not wearing nose masks, as well as inadequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) puts AKTH doctors at risk of contracting the coronavirus.
“Another challenge was deliberate hoarding of information on COVID-19 by some patients, which exposed many doctors and other health workers to the disease”, Nagoma said.
