Nigerian comedian Sydney Talker has taken to his Twitter handle to share his alleged experience with the NCDC.
“I was rushed to a private hospital where I was rejected because of my symptoms and was referred to the Mainland Hospital (formerly Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba, Lagos), ” Sydney tweets.
According to Sydney, his case was dismissed as common cold because according to them, his symptoms and possible contacts did not fit the case of a possible COVID-19 infection based on his travel history and known contacts.
He said that while he he had taken the prescribed medications by doctors for cold, his symptoms had only gotten worse and he has been advised by doctors to get a Covid-19 test, yet the NCDC has so far refused to give him one.
He also claimed that the NCDC dismisses his concern as a comedy skit.
Read the thread below:
Good afternoon everyone.
I'm sharing my personal experience with our failed healthcare system especially on its inability to respond promptly to this COVID-19 epidemic.#TheAverageNigerian #FailedHealthCare #FailedHealthCareSystem
/1
— SYDNEY WILLS (@sydney_talker) March 27, 2020
“A week ago, I came down with some symptoms similar to that of COVID-19. I tried the
@NCDCgov hotlines several times for about 2 days before I got a response stating that since I have not started showing ALL signs & symptoms plus I have no recent international travel history—
/2
“—or contact with a confirmed COVID-19 patient I wouldn’t be attended to.
I took to Twitter later that day expressing my displeasure for the response I got and most people including the
@NCDCgov
dismissed it as a skit or probably an attention-seeking video.
/3
“My symptoms continued to persist and I reached out to the @LSMOH through the hotlines all to no avail before contacting them on Twitter via @08000CORONA where I got a call the following morning.
/4
“I was told to get a cough syrup and mix lemon in hot water and take these liquids every morning and evening.
I carried out these practices for 2 days with a little relief or so I thought, up until yesterday where I had serious difficulty breathing.
/5
“I was rushed to a private hospital where I was rejected because of my symptoms and was referred to the Mainland Hospital (Formerly Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba, Lagos).
/6
“Upon my arrival at the Mainland Hospital, the doctors on ground reluctantly attended to the case after questioning me.
/7
“Some of the doctors dismissed it almost immediately stating that the signs and symptoms plus possible confirmed contact did not fit the profile of a COVID 19 case.
/8
“A sample was eventually collected for testing after we insisted on NOT leaving without a test being carried out. While the test was ongoing 2 persons were immediately admitted into the Isolation Ward based on the fact that they had possible contact with a confirmed case.
