”We Are In Search Of The COVID-19 Patient That Was Taken Away”- Delta State Health Commissioner

Dr Mordi Ononye, the Commissioner for Health in Delta state, says the state government is currently in search of the COVID-19 patient that was ”whisked away by seven men” from the Federal Medical Center COVID19 patients Isolation center in Asaba on Monday, June 1.

The state Ministry of Health released a statement on Monday night, announcing that a 53-year-old Nurse, Michael Mordi, who tested positive for the virus, was whisked away from the center by some men. According to the Ministry, Mordi has been problematic since he was taken into the Isolation after he tested positive for the virus on May 24.

When LIB contacted the patient, he confirmed he has indeed left the Isolation center but that he left on the advice of the medical doctors at the center. Mordi said his grouse with the state COVID-19 team is that they never showed him his test result when he asked for it.

LIB reached out to Dr. Ononye who insisted that Mr. Mordi was whisked away by some unknown men. He said efforts are being made to bring him back to the Isolation center as he is a threat to the public.

”We are searching for him. Information got to us he was not taken back to his residence. We are also going to ensure that he is accosted and counselled again on the need for him to return to that center.” Ononye said

The Commissioner denied Mordi’s claim that the doctors at the Isolation center told him he had been discharged and should go home. He also debunked the patient’s claim that his test result wasn’t released to him.

”There is no doctor who will do that. The doctors at the center are professionals who understand the risk of sending out such a person to the larger population.”

The Commissioner added that one of the things his Ministry has had to contend with is the erroneous belief that COVID-19 is not real even among some health workers