A 60-year medical doctor, Emeka Chugbo, on Wednesday died of coronavirus infection at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). He is the first doctor to die of COVID-19 in Nigeria, after contracting the virus from a patient he was treating at his private facility.
The confirmed case Dr Chugbo was treating died at his facility on April 4, who was the second death case in Lagos State. The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, who gave the update of the second death on April 4 said “a COVID-19 patient; a 36-year old Nigerian male died in a private facility on 4th April 2020.”
Professor Chris Bode, the Chief Medical Director, LUTH, confirmed the death to THISDAY on Wednesday, saying the deceased doctor was rushed to the hospital after showing signs of the disease.
“He was brought in late so there was not much we could do. He was a staff in LUTH years back before he went to join the private sector. We learnt he had COVID-19 patients in his facility that he was treating. He may have been exposed to the virus from there.
“His death has shown what health workers are exposed to in the course of treating COVID-19 patients. Our hearts are with his family in this trying time. It is a sad development for us.”
In a tribute to the deceased, Lawal Oyeneyin, who is also a medical doctor, said the late Dr. Chugbo was a former senior resident of Obstetrics and Gynecology in LUTH who left to set up his private practice in Lagos.
“He contracted the virus from privately managing a known COVID-19 patient. He later fell ill and was receiving care at his hospital. When his condition deteriorated, he was referred to LUTH in severe respiratory distress. I remember Dr Chugbo was a known asthmatic. “He was commenced on drugs, but he did not really improved. He passed on Wednesday morning 15th April,”
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/ssouth-west/388195-lagos-doctor-dies-of-coronavirus.html
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
Dr Chugbo was a consultant Obsterician and Gynecologist that was called in to do an emergency CS for his pregnant patient who was in sever distress as well as her unborn fetus. Unknown to him, she was a case of COVID 19 and that’s how he got infected.
*COVID 19 is primarily a respiratory disease that is treated mainly by Internal physicians (pulmonologists), Anesthetists/ intensivists, infectious disease experts, ENT surgeons occasionally, BUT NEVER BY OBSTETRICIANS/GYNECOLOGISTS* so there is no way Dr Chugbo (an Ob/Gynae consultant ) was intentionally treating a COVID patient in his private clinic knowing he lacked the facility to do so as is making rounds now.
Please let’s get the facts right. What he Did was a CS operation not attempt to treat COVID and being the excellent Dr he was, he always went all the way to ensure the best treatment for his patients, And seeing a woman in distress, he rushed in to save her life not knowing it will Cost him his.
It was when she died 2 days after the surgery that the news came that she was a COVID patient. Unfortunately, Dr Chigbo being an asthmatic also was already infected and didn’t make it.
Please Let us say a prayer for his family and other health care workers who risk their lives everyday while trying to save that of others. This also shows us that with a community spread of the virus, no one is exempted, even a Dentist, a psychiatrist or a dermatologist, ophthalmologist, GPs, Pediatricians, Urologist and other totally unrelated fields are also at risk…. as long as you see patients.
Also PLEASE Let the public STOP LYING about their symptoms, travel history and exposure so as to get the appropriate treatment for yourself and also not to expose unsuspecting health care staff who were unprepared to tackle COVID. These people have wives, children, husbands, parents and people who love them. Their lives matter too.
