COVID-19: Abuja hospital rejects Governor Ikpeazu

A private hospital in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, has rejected the Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu (Ph.D), who sought treatment there for Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The hospital, located in the Gudu area of the FCT, turned him down on the excuse “that they are into kidney transplant and cannot afford an iota of infection”, a source close to the elitist medical facility told News Express on Tuesday.

“Ikpeazu has been in Abuja for four days. After being diagnosed positive for COVID-19, he sought treatment at Zenith Hospital, Gudu, but they refused. They are into kidney transplant and cannot afford an iota of infection,” the source said.

Asked where Ikpeazu was eventually admitted for treatment, the source said: “They moved him to a private facility.”

News Express had last night broken the news of Governor Ikpeazu being flown out of Abia State in search of treatment for COVID-19. Sources close to the Government House, Umuahia, had disclosed that he was “flown to Abuja for treatment and was not in Abia State as at last week Saturday.”

Ikpeazu’s positive test result was announced on Monday by Abia State Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi Kalu. This is contrary to the practice of governors who contract COVID-19 personally announcing it on camera and assuring their subjects as they proceed for treatment.

Confirming the status of the Governor, Okiyi had said: “The Governor confirmed that the second test carried out on his sample by the NCDC laboratory returned a positive result.

“I wish to assure the good people of Abia State that their governor is fighting the virus. We spoke even up to 2 a.m. this morning but he decided that it is important to let the people of Abia State know and that we also strongly advise our people to take personal responsibility for their own safety because COVID-19 is real and that the state has the resources to nurse individuals who might come down with this virus back to good health.”

Continuing, Okiyi said: “The governor is being taken care of by a team of competent medics and, in the interim, the Deputy Governor will continue to perform the duties of the Office of the Governor and we do not expect that there will be any lacuna in government.”

The Commissioner was silent on the whereabouts of the Governor.

Contacted on Tuesday morning and confronted with the information reaching News Express that Governor Ikpeazu has been flown out of Abia State for treatment, Okiyi replied: “Governor Ikpeazu is much better and in medical isolation. He is receiving good care and will soon return to work.”

Once more, he played mute on the whereabouts of his principal.

Before Ikpeazu’s positive test, four other state governors previously contracted COVID-19 but have since been successfully treated and returned to work. They are Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi) and Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna.