A COVID-19 survivor in Lagos, Akinwale Oluwaleimu, has shared his survival story on Facebook but not without expressing disappointment at some quarters on his way to survival.
Oluwaleimu narrated how Lagoon Hospital, which happened to be his family hospital for years, neglected him in a most trying period.
He added that the hospital neither showed empathy nor reached out to him to him afterwards to know how he was faring.
He expressed regret on how the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) officials have been handling cases despite claims of committment and care.
Read his post below:
In The Beginning
On June 24, 2020, I felt a little feverish but since I do not regularly fall ill, I didn’t think much of it. Yet, I went to the neighbourhood Pharmacy where I requested for any malaria medication. The Pharmacist advised I got Coatem and Ibuprofen. I was on that, and after three days, thought it should be over, but that wasn’t to be, as I still felt feverish and now very weak in the body.
On Sunday, June 28, 2020, I noticed I couldn’t smell my perfume, deodorant, and body spray; at that point, I knew something was seriously wrong.
Fever, cough, loss of smell, loss of taste, body pains and weakness of the body all came together that evening.
I quickly did a Google on all the symptoms I could feel and the only thing that came out consistently was covid 19.
As I was home alone, it was easy for me to isolate myself first as I didnt want to infect anybody else importantly.
Lagoon Hospital
The next morning, I needed to confirm my suspicion, so I visited my private hospital, the #lagoonhospital, Ikeja. I tried my best to keep away from people and was fully geared up in face and nose masks.
Lagoon had been my private hospital for years; in fact, we had our 11 year-old daughter, Edidioluwa, there, and I must have spent close to half a million naira on one treatment at the same hospital just a year earlier. This time however, I was terribly disappointed in their service and patient care.
A young doctor attended to me and immediately I told him my fears, all I could read in his countenance was the quickest way to get rid of me. I asked if he had any information as regards where I can get get tested, get care, or any useful information, but all he kept saying was “go to NIMR, Yaba”. I’d never heard that, and didn’t know how to proceed. Again, Google to the rescue: Ikeja LGA office was the nearest COVID-19 Test Centre, so off I went.
Getting to Ikeja LGA office, a gentleman simply called Sheriff took it upon himself to put me through what I can do, and started making calls to the Ikeja COVID Unit; he also mentioned that Lagoon Hospital had his direct details and that even their MD knew him personally. He expressed his shock that they didn’t properly direct me, or contact them. Till this day, I’m still to receive a followup call from “my hospital” (first call Doctors) to know if I survived and how I was faring.
NCDC
I tried doing a test from Monday, June 29; I was at the Ikeja LGA unit but was told by Mr. Sheriff that I should drop my details, and that someone would reach out to me in 24 hours, but of course, no one did. On Wednesday, July 1, the same Mr. Sheriff said I should try the Akowonjo Primary School Unit. I got there by 8.30 a.m. on the said day, but no NCDC staff showed up till 11:00 a.m. And the over 40 people waiting in line had to stay and watch them patiently as they set up.
Being the first on the list, I was done by 12.30 p.m. and was told that result would be sent in 72hrs with no warnings, precautions or advice.
It’s one week and …..and I still dont have a result.
