By The World Satellite.
Dr. Simon Uriah; Chairman Medical and Dental Association of Nigeria Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, has urged the public to always verify what they see on social media and stick to the truth alone. Dr. Uriah made this call against the backdrop of a viral social media video, which had on Friday 22nd May alleged that Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, admitted a suspected COVID 19 patient in a ward close to that of the Female General ward in the hospital.
Additionally, the video, which further claimed that health personnels in the hospital are being subjected to work under duress to attend to the patient who was perceived to be an important person in the Rivers State government, added that health workers of RSUTH protested against the behaviour of the Chief Medical Director; Professor Friday Aaron for subjecting them to attend to the suspected COVID 19 patient in the hospital, rather than take the patient to Isolation Centre.
Debunking the allegation, Dr Uriah noted that the alleged protest by medical personnels of the hospital as a result of the suspected patient was untrue, adding that the patient in question was kept in an isolated private ward away from other patients admitted in the hospital, adding
Continuing, he explained that the patient was isolated from other patients in the hospital, and was not in any general ward as alleged and no staff of the hospital protested. Dr. Uriah, who asserted that he was on duty from Friday 22nd May, till close of work, Saturday 23rd May and did not see anyone protest asked for the evidence that medical personnels protested.
More so, Dr. Uriah informed that the said patient was duly isolated from other patients in a private ward, while awaiting the result of the COVID 19 test which is in keeping with NCDC, Federal Ministry of Health, Rivers State Ministry of Health guidelines. “Any well-meaning person who has the interest of doctors, nurses and other health workers at heart should find a way to assist the hospital in whichever way they can, rather than run the hospital down”, he said.
Dr. Uriah further averred that the encouragement of health care workers who are in the forefront fighting against this pandemic is timely, while advising that whenever people are in doubt, they should come to the hospital to verify. According to him; “the Teaching Hospital is not outside the Town of Port Harcourt. They should do a proper verification before making comments or supporting what somebody puts on social media”.
On the one hand, Dr Uriah affirmed that the Teaching Hospital is functioning fully, discrediting the allegation that patients are being turned down by Doctors or other health workers of the hospital, as contained in the video making round in social media.
“It is untrue that health workers of RSUTH turned down patients, the hospital is working well, you can visit the hospital to see things for yourself that the hospital is not closed. The children department, the Emergency section, labour Wards are all working fully, even patients admitted in Ward’s are being attended to fully, despite the fact that today is public holiday”, Dr. Uriah explained.
Conclusively, he assured that the hospital has well trained specialist and professionals who are abreast with infection and control protocols.
