COVID-19 patients hit the streets in Gombe, complain about hunger in isolation

Some COVID-19 patients staged a protest at the Federal Teaching Hospital in Gombe on Tuesday, destroying some equipment in their ward.

The patients, who were under quarantine, were said to have complained of ill treatment.

A security source disclosed that people stayed away from the protesting patients to avoid contracting the disease.

“No one could move close to them because of their health condition but they were very angry and shouted on the top of their voices,” he said.

After 30 minutes, some officials in the hospital were said to have pacified them promising them that there would be improvement in their welfare.

It was gathered that while the protest at the hospital was ongoing, some COVID-19 patients at Kwadon Isolation Centre in Yamaltu Deba local government area of Gombe, took to the streets, also lamenting poor treatment.

They were said to have blocked the Gombe/ Biu road, chanting anti-government songs. Some of them reportedly went to unknown locations after the protest while others returned to the centre.

In one of the videos making rounds online, one of the patients was heard saying he had been abandoned since officials of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) brought him to the hospital three days ago.

He said he had not been given drugs and was left on his own alongside some patients admitted to the hospital over COVID-19.

Another said only vitamin C drug had been given to him since he got to the centre earlier in the week.

The state has 96 COVID-19 cases.

Ahmed Gana, commissioner for health, could not be reached as of the time of filing this report as he neither answered calls nor replied a text message.